Darkness of His Vault
by sammniam2
Summary: ***UPDATING IN PROGRESS*** Finn falls to his inner demons when those he cares for forget his birthday, triggering his spiral into madness. In his pain, he turns to a new solace, an enchanted blade, to ease his pain and possibly end his suffering. But his new friend isn't what it seems. Will anyone find him in time or is his fate sealed? Rated T/M for violence, triggering, lang
1. Chapter 1 - Does anyone remember?

*****UPDATE*** I am reworking some of the earliest chapters, adding to them as I originally wanted them to express. Part of this reasoning, is I need to re-connect to the story. I've lost my "touch" with it and although I have a massive of quickly-laid out notes &amp; chapters written, it seems off. I will NOT be updating every chapter before I start adding to the end...I will probably not overwrite other chapters, rather I think I am gonna put them in a new "version" or on my Deviant Art channel.**

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I don't own Adventure Time or any of the characters within. This occurs before the Wake Up/Escape episodes happen. Just a side note - this story is majorly not in character for ANYBODY in the series. It plays off what you know, but makes things more adult/more realistic.

Comments more than welcome.

_*****WARNING*****_

This could be triggering for some - Severe angst and self harm, possibly more as it grows.

Rated T for the most part, although I may move it to M if it continues along as it now is.

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Chapter One - Does Anyone Remember?

Finn stares straight ahead, unable to tear himself away from the numbness that filled him. Although he didn't remember much of the trip, he found himself standing in front of his treehouse. He was home, home... the empty shell of a place that once held happiness and warmth. It wasn't home now, just a place to sleep and store things.

Taking a key out of his pocket, he opens the front door into the treasure room. Wandering in, he shrugs off his green backpack, letting the well-worn bag drop onto the floor and spill open. A few coins roll from its depths, stopping against the already massive piles filling the room. Lightning flashes outside, illuminating the room and shadowing Finn's features into a skeletal mask. A low distant rumble of thunder warns of the impending storm's arrival.

Unconsciously he swings his arm, aiming to shut the door behind him. He clips it, sending it swinging, but it doesn't latch. Slowly, shuffling toward the ladder, he makes his way up to the living room. He simply stands there, staring into the dark room. The place was quiet, unearthly quiet and still. Scanning the space, his eyes alight on a sheet of paper propped up on the table. Gingerly walking forward, he can see it has the sloppy handwriting of his brother. Picking it up, he holds it close to face to read in the darkened room.

**Yo Bro,**

**Lady needs some help with the kids so I'm gonna head over and see what I can do. BMO came with me. Food's in the fridge, make sure you eat. Be back in a few days. Later bro.**

**Jake**

He reads the note twice then lets the paper fall from his fingers as his arm drops to his side.

"You too, Bro..." His voice sounds strained and weak, as if the very act of speaking was more than he could muster. Lightning flashes again, accompanied again by the low rumble of thunder. Then the rain starts, first lightly then quickly turning into a downpour, pelting the foliaged roof the massive treehouse. Still standing by the table, Finn slowly looks around the room, seeing all the things that filled his life, once upon a time, with a sense of happiness, of hope, of love ... of... "Home." he whispers into the darkness.

Lightning crashes as a single tear rolls down his face. He looks over toward the clock, it was late, nearly 11pm. Another tear spills down his face as he reaches up and pulls off his white hat. Free from its restriction, his blonde hair tumbles down, obscuring his face. He closes his eyes as more tears start to flow and stands there, head bowed, in the darkness weeping silently. His hand opens, letting his hat slip from his fingers and fall to the ground. Carefully, he slowly makes his way thru the treehouse to Jake's and his bedroom.

"Not one of them. Not one of them ... remembered." He whispers to the darkness surrounding him._ I thought they were my friends, my family... They don't need me. They only want to use me, the Great Hero of Ooo_. He thinks as he stumbles thru the darkness toward his room. _They don't care. Did they ever care? Or have I been fooling myself all this time?_

Finally climbing one last ladder, he enters the cramped dark room. His messy bed, complete with its various random furs sits like the remains of some hulking beast. The only time he even comes into the place anymore was to sleep, which he has done far more than normal in the last few months. Of course, if anyone had been paying any amount of attention to him, perhaps they may have picked up on strange behavior. _If they cared_. Standing there, he can feel more tears fall down his face. Lightning lights up the space, highlighting the stark contract the various pieces of furniture. Most items are laden with random objects, but the lightening reflects off something on the top of his dresser that catches his eyes the most. Four picture frames line the top of the aged dresser. Four pictures that he once considered some of his most prized possessions.

"Did any of them ever really care?" Shuffling forward, he pulls his shirt over his head, yanking the long sleeves roughly down and off his arms. As the lightning comes again, it illuminates his scared and beaten body. It wasn't an odd sight to see him covered in bruises and healing injuries. His carefree attitude and wreck-less willingness for action over thought, often left him with reminders. As the light fades, if anyone else were to see him now, they would realize, this was not normal, even for him.

His skin, normally vibrate and glowing, was pale and held a unhealthily cast. The muscles that normally were hidden under a light layer of body fat, stood out in stark relief, each rib could be easily seen. Covering his pale flesh were dozens of fresh and healing bruises, old scars, but also fresh injuries. Considering how he often pushed aside psychical injuries, often ignoring them, there were more covering his body than normal. Across his chest, down his stomach, up his shoulder and down both arms. His arms held the highest number, dozen on each, criss-crossing over each other all the way down to his wrists. Some were old, healed and scared. Others, fresher, barely holding together in the earliest stage of healing.

Dropping the shirt, he crosses the small space to stand before his dresser, staring down on the frames arrayed across the top. Picking up the first picture, he stares into the glassy surface. The picture displayed a scene from years ago of him and Jake, outside this very treehouse. Jake looks like his normal self, but Finn is much younger. They both look happy, doing their signature fist-bump and hugging each other. Oh how times have changed. Jake, once so carefree and spontaneous, now has Lady and his kids to worry about. He's grown up as much as his hates to admit it and it's noticeable. Over the last year, he has spent less and less time with Finn and more time away, being a dad and husband.

"Jake, how could you, of all people, forget? I never forgot yours. Never." Anger washes over him, stirring forth rage from inside and he brings the photo frame down on the edge of the dresser, smashing it. Staring down at the shattered glass, he releases his grip and lets the damaged item fall to the floor. More silent tears fall from his red rimmed eyes as he glances at the other pictures. The subject of the next one was Princess Bubblegum.

She stood there, all prim and proper, with Jake and himself flanking her. Several of the candy people including Peppermint Butler are surrounding them, everybody looks happy and cheerful. But to him, it feels like another lie. Bonniebell, Bubblegum, PB... always thinking of her subjects and kingdom first. Always searching for answers in her science and technology. She called him her knight, her champion, her Hero. He once loved her, with every ounce of his life. He tried several time to explain his feelings toward her, but she pushed him away. "_You're too young Finn, too childish." _Those words wounded him worse than any sword or spell, they tore his heart and soul. It left a hidden wound that he tried to burry in his vault and move on. He wanted to push past the hurt, to prove to her that he wasn't a child, that he could be the man she needed.

That old wound was open, bleeding invisibly inside his aching heart. Again rage swelled up through him and he brought down her photo in the same fashion as Jake's, smashing the glass and wood.

"You lied PB. You lied to me, used me... you never cared." The frame fell to the floor to join the ruin of it's companion. "I wasn't one of your precious creations, so you didn't have to worry about me. You just needed a tool to tackle what you couldn't deal with." Looking back to the top, two more frames waited.

The next frame was a black metal one, a fancy scrolled affair that seemed fitting for the subject it contained. Marceline, the self claimed Vampire Queen. She was wearing her outdoor clothes; long gloves, umbrella and sunhat. Her infamous bass axe was strapped to her back. Her expression was odd, she was making a strange symbol with one hand with her forked tongue poking out between the raised digits. Marcy, who was both wild, playful and adventurous, and also frightening and dangerous. He tried to get close to her over the years, tried his damnest to be a friend, as much as she claimed she didn't want one.

Every time he got close to her, she would push back, often joking him to the point of blatantly insulting him. She considered everything a game, and perhaps to one who had lived as long as she did, it was. It felt like she never understood how much it hurt him when she joked him, mocked his actions or turned his emotions upside down. He once thought he could grow to love the vampire, but after years of her jokes and taunts, he couldn't stand the pain anymore. He knew she had her own messed up childhood, but why did she have to mess his up as well. Her photo suffered the same fate as the rage demanded a outlet, he brought it down, but the first strike failed to do more than twist one of the fancy edges. A second, harder hit shattered the glass, letting the metal frame warp. Unbeknownst to him, or perhaps he was beyond caring, the frame fought back, the twisted scrollwork slicing into his hand and drawing blood. Falling the floor, it bounces once and lands face down.

Reaching for the last picture, his hand hovers over the simple wooden frame. The subject of said frame was that of his ex, Flame Princess. She stood alone, shyly waving with that cute smirk she would get when she was around him. Remembering, he brought forth the memory of taking that picture with BMO. They were outside her new house Finn and her had built. The one on the sea cliffs... the one where he had finally gotten the nerve to kiss her. A frown forms on his face, as his memory drags back the pain of that horrid day. It was a precursor, he understood that now. Their fate was sealed, it was the beginning of the end. It was the day his heart broke, although he refused to accept the truth, even at the possible cost of his own life. Another day, not far away, she would return to the Flame Kingdom and choose to leave him. Yes, he had hurt her too, but he didn't fully understand why or how, he was young and stupid, foolish. He still loved her, in a way he never did over Bubblegum or Marcy. Her passion, her life... it was so much like his own, but at the same time, so opposite.

Although it was almost a year past, that hurt never went away. It couldn't, he didn't want it to leave. It was a reminder of his failure, of the fact that he wasn't perfect nor was he as good as he thought he was. As others thought her was. Rubbing his thumb across her face, he smears blood across the photo. Looking down at his hand, he can see the crimson fluid continuing to leak out from a fresh wound. Watching the blood, a sudden giddiness overtakes him. He rubs more blood across her photo, his red merging in with the red of her natural form. All he could see though the bloody haze was her twin coal black eyes, staring at him. Blaming him. A snarl works its way free from him as he raises the frame up and smashes it. The glass erupts out of the frame, bouncing off his bare torso. The photo slides loose and he rips it free, letting the remains of the frame to fall. Grabbing both edges, he rips the offends picture in half and tosses it aside.

Lightning flashes again, highlighting another object on his dresser, one that had been hidden behind the now destroyed frames. A long thin, bright silver scabbard lies there, alone in the now returning gloom. Reaching out, he gently picks up the fragile blade, slowly drawing it from the scabbard, the sharp edge of the blade seems to glow faintly._ His only friend..._

He had been dungeon crawling for weeks, trying desperately to keep himself from thinking about his screwed up life. He had stumbled on the opening of some long forgotten hole and took the chance that it was the very distraction he was seeking. It was, but it was a strange. It was trapped, like all good dungeons should be, but half the traps where already disarmed. It wasn't until he was deep within did he start to find the bones, remains of whoever had come before him. Then he found the traps. The place was crazy deadly and gave him the chance to lose himself. He was in his element.

It was after he emerged and was sitting outside in the fading daylight, that he took the time to sort through his haul. Most of it was damaged, rusty or just out right broken. It was a disappointing collection of random pieces, all except the silver dagger. That had been at the very bottom of the dungeon, the only decent item in the place. Picking up the fragile blade, it suddenly occurred to him that FP would love it. Sliding the blade free from its scabbard, he had sat there, absently playing with it. Even now, he wasn't sure what had happened, had he fumbled it or had it twisted in his grasp, but it slipped free from his fingers.

Falling, he reached for it and missed, letting it lightly graze his forearm. To his surprise, a razor thin line appeared across his flesh. It hadn't hurt, at least until the blood started flowing. In shock he sat there, watching the blood run down his arm and drip onto his pants. The pain in his arm was strange, it hurt, but not in a bad way. For some reason, it felt good, almost euphoric. Liberating even. He leaned down, picked up the fragile blade, caught it's edge in the setting sunlight. As the blade reflected the reddish light into his eyes, he found himself bringing the blade down against his arm again, making a second deeper gash. More blood welled up and again, the pain came, but also that sense of calmness. It put the hurt of his memories into the vault of his mind, slamming the door shut for the first time in months. Releasing the breath he didn't know he was holding, he leant back on the ground, calm and relaxed. Slowly, he raised the silver dagger up to his view, a smile across his lips. Whatever it was, it had become his new friend.

Over the next few months, whenever he felt the memories creep from his vault, he took the blade and drove them back into the darkness. To hide what he was doing, he started wearing his long sleeve shirts, even though summers in Ooo where killer hot at times. He was worried someone might find out, might even notice his change of attire, but nobody said anything. Never once had any of them asked. Sadly, that did nothing to help improve his ever increasing negative moods. Time passed, the blade became his only friend as those around him grew ever distant and more occupied about their lives over his.

With little thought Finn brought the tip of the thin blade down against the flesh of his stomach. Pulling suddenly, a thin line appeared. At first no blood came, so he placed the edge slightly high, pressing harder and repeated the action. With the second line drawn, the blood finally came, weeping like red tears down his skin.

The blessed pain came with the blood, the calmness that he had come to rely on ebbed into his soul. The rage was still there, burning inside like a ember. It wasn't enough, the hurt was still there. The ache, the betrayal, the sorrow. _Just make it stop, make it stop!_ Again and again, the silver blade dances across his pale skin, drawing a roadmap of pain. Filling up the available space on his stomach, he turns his fury against his arms, first covering one then the other in weeping wounds. Blood falls around him like rain, splattering the floor, covering the remains of the pictures he so recently destroyed. Crimson drops coat the smiling faces of those he once called his friends, his family, masking their happiness with his pain.

"None of you, NOT ONE GLOBBING DAMN ONE OF YOU REMEMBERED!" He screams, tears and blood flowing freely from him. "DO I MEAN SO LITTLE TO ANY OF YOU!" A sob escapes him as he drops to his knees. Landing roughly, he throws back his head and howls. The sounds that issue forth from his mouth was soul-shattering in its rawness. Thunder rips through the treehouse, it's matching lightning lights up the miserable figure. For several brief seconds, his screams fight the peals of thunder , fighting to drown out the might roar of mother nature. Gradually his voice gives out, his throat torn raw by the force of his venting. His vision dims as he slumps forward onto his hands, the thin blade still tightly gripped in one blood coated hand.

"None ... of... you" he croaks faintly, coughing violently as his throat spasms. His eyes, bloodshot and swollen stare blankly ahead, seeing nothing. Lifting his head, he turns and starts to crawl toward the ladder. Even his last friend couldn't fix what was wrong with him, what was broken inside. The ache was still there, the rage and anger. All he can think of is to hide, to find the hardest, loneliest place in the house. To lie down. To give up and give in to the darkness inside.


	2. Chapter 2 - Mistakes Discovered

**I don't own Adventure Time or any of the characters within.**

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Chapter 2 - Mistakes Discovered

((** these are translated from Korean - didn't want to try and double translate things &amp; make reading harder))

Morning dawns, rainy and gloomy, as Jake rolls off Lady Rainicorn. Her bed was big, but it was easier to sleep in her coils than make space for both of them. Scratching himself, wondering what time it was, he makes his way to the ladder leading down to Lady's kitchen, Behind him, Lady wakes up and sleepily mumbles to him.

**Jake, where are you going?** She yawns, trying to force herself more awake.

"Breakfast, want some?" He answers, starting down the ladder. He stops, waiting for her answer, but she has fallen back to sleep. He smiles and continues downstairs. Outside the storm has lessened from last night, but a peal of thunder rumbles in the distance. Jake looks around, digging around various cupboards until he has found what he needs to make breakfast.

Turning toward the fridge, frying pan in hand, he stops in his tracks as a flash of lightning lights up the room. A bright shaft of light falls across the calendar hanging on the wall. He stares at it, now back in its darkness, thinking. All yesterday, something bugged him while he helped Lady with the kids. It kept bothering him, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't figure out what was causing this feeling of distress. It was like he had forgotten something, something real important. He shrugs, taking a step toward the stove.

Lightning flashes again, the calendar is illuminated, the date was still set on yesterday. The large number caught his eye... something about the date... date...the date...

Suddenly Jake drops the frying pan he was holding as his mouth drops open. "OH MY GLOB!" He screams, dashing off toward his things. Lady, hearing him scream, snaps awake. Groggily peering over the loft edge at Jake, she watches him rummage through his bag.

**Jake, what's wrong?** She asks, trying to stifle another yawn.

"Oh my Glob, oh my Glob! I forgot, how the heck did I forget!" He yells, finally standing up with his phone. He looks up at Lady, she can see he's upset. She flies down to him, waiting for him to explain. He fiddles with his phone, hitting various buttons and finally finds Finn's number.

**Forget? What did you forget?** Jake looks up from the phone, worry is clearly written across is yellow face.

"FINN'S BIRTHDAY!" He shouts, hitting the send button on the phone. The news snaps Lady fully awake. Jake had memory problems, but to forget something like this was not like him. She coils up, watching him fidget, concerned for both Jake and his brother, Finn.

Jake paces in a tight circle, muttering under his breath. The phone was ringing, but so far no answer came. Finn wasn't picking up his phone. "GLOB IT!" He shouts, hangs up and tosses the phone aside. "ARGH!" He dives back into his bag, rooting around again. _How in Glob's name did I forget something this important. Damn it Jake, you have GOT to do something about your memory issues. I mean, really man, forgetting Finn's birthday is inexcusable_, he curses to himself.

Suddenly BMO pops up, glaring up into Jakes face.

"Jake, why are you yelling? I was sleeping." Jake blinks at the little robot, surprised she was in his bag.

"I gribbed up bad, BMO. I totally forgot Finn's birthday!" The little robot's screen flashes to a surprised emoticon. "I need my Special Occasion phone."

"Ok, hang on, I will get it." she says, diving back into his bag. Jake watches the bag move and wiggle as BMO crawls around looking for his SO phone. After a few seconds later she pops up, triumphantly holding the phone over her head. Jake snatches it from her little hands and quickly scans through the speed-dial.

"Thanks BMO, you're a life saver." He turns away as the little robot crosses her arms, a big smile across her screen. Finally he sees Finn's SO number and dials it.

The Special Occasion phone is a special phone they only use to call their closest friends. It was supposed to be used for emergencies or special occasions, but since Finn didn't answer his normal one, Jake took the chance he would answer this one. The phone rings, twice, three times, four and more. No answer. _Oh Glob, Finn where are you buddy?_ This isn't good, not good at all.

Jake stares up into Lady's worried face. After the tenth ring, Jake hangs up.

"Why won't he answer?" He whines, worried to the point his stomach feels sick. Lady thinks quickly, they could leave now to look for him, but they had no idea where Finn was.

**What about calling Princess Bubblegum or Marceline, perhaps they know why Finn isn't answering.** She offers.

"Great idea Lady!" Jake scrolls down the list and the next name on the list is Marceline. He may not like the Vampire Queen, but Finn trusted her. He stabs the button and dials her phone.

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In the candy Kingdom, Marceline and PB where standing in one of the Princess's labs, in front of a bank of screens and tables with various scientific equipment laying around. PB, dressed in a white lab coat was bent over a microscope with a notepad in her hands, scribbling down hasty notes while her eye was glued to the scope.

Marceline on the other hand was lazily floating around behind PB, upside down. She also held a note book, but she was doodling little pictures, mainly of various musical instruments that she might like to make from weapons. She glances over at PB, who she had come to borrow some glue to fix one of her instruments. When she arrived she found the other woman engrossed in her studies. While she wanted to get back and fix her stuff, she knew interrupting PB during her "science time" wasn't the best idea if she wanted something from her other than a good fight. She sighs, looking up at the double sword lead guitar she had sketched up. _There are times PB gets WAY too caught up in her hobby_. She chuckles softly to herself and jumps as her phone rings from her back pocket, dropping her note book.

As she struggles to remove it from the tight pocket, PB glares up from her scope at her, clearly annoyed at the distraction. Huffing to herself, she goes back to her microscope. Marceline flips it open and notices the number reads JAKE SOP. She hits the accept button, floating upright, wondering what would have Jake using that number to call her.

"Hey Jake, s'up dog?"

"Oh thank Glob you answered!" Jake screams down the line at her. She holds the phone away from her ear and stares at it. Wow, he was upset something fierce. PB, sits up from her scope, putting down her notepad. Jake had screamed loud enough for her to hear.

"Jake, you ok?" She cautiously asks, floating down to stand on the ground as PB gets up to join her. She tips the phone to the side and hits the speaker button.

"Have you seen Finn? He's not answering his phones!" Jake hastily shouts. Marcy looks at PB who also has a look of confusion on her face. Finn not answering his phones is NOT a good sign of things, especially if he wasn't answering his SO phone.

"No, Jake I haven't. Why? Where are you? What happened?" She tries to ask the dog. On the other end of the line Jake starts whining, Lady pats his shoulder trying to calm him down.

"I don't know Marceline. I'm at Lady's place, but I gribbed up bad." He whimpers and moans, "I forgot Finn's birthday was yesterday!" He finally shouts. Marcy and PB glance at each other in shock. _Finn's birthday_ PB mouths at Marcy. She brings her hands up to her mouth, looking pale. Marcy reaches out and grabs PB's arm, steadying her. _What the heck is going on here_, she wonders.

"Did you see Finn, PB?" She asks, loud enough that Jake and Lady can hear. PB swallows, nodding yes as she opens her mouth to speak. She coughs suddenly, then starts again.

"Yes, he came by yesterday morning, but I was so busy, I sent him away. I honestly forgot until just now." Marcy looks at PB, angrily but then sighs. She can't get angry at PB because she's guilty of the same thing.

"Damn, I forgot too." She admits. _How downright pathetic of me, to forget something as important as Finn's b-day._ Jake starts whining louder and drops the phone, running in circles. Lady picks up the phone.

**Can one of you go to the treehouse and check if he's there?** She asks as Jake sits down, rocking back and forth, whimpering.

"Sure thing Lady," Marcy replies, already starting to float. "Are you and Jake gonna come here?"

**Yes, we'll head to the Candy Kingdom as soon as I can calm Jake down. Please, call if you find out anything.**

"No problem Lady. Hold on Jake, Finn is fine." Marcy says, closing the phone and glancing over to PB. She had sat down on her lab stool, still looking shocked and pale. Marcy floats over to her, grabbing her shoulder to give her a slight shake.

"PB, you ok? Don't go all Jake on me girl." PB blinks, shaking herself. Then she stands up, smoothes her lab coat and nods. PB may be many things, but rarely did she get emotionally distraught over things, or at least for any amount of time.

"You can get to their treehouse the fastest, Marcy. If you need anything, call. I'll check around the Kingdom to see if anyone has seen him." Marcy nods and flies off, winding her way out of the castle into the storm outside. She didn't like flying through rain, but this was an emergency. Finn would not answer Jake's calls, not if he could. She flew higher, sighting herself in the right direction and takes off toward their treehouse.

_Damn it, how could I forget the kid's birthday. I mean, he's always around, right? Well... _she thought to herself, _he actually hasn't been around allot lately. I mean, yes, I've been dealing with Simon more than normal, but usually Finn's by once a week. That's odd._ She speeds up, the rain now becoming slightly painful. In fact she can't remember the last time she hung out with him... maybe 3 weeks ago, if that. He seemed off that day, their typical jam session wasn't as lively as it normally was. He seemed distracted, almost moody, totally not like his normal bubbly self. Something in the back of her mind worried her, his behavior was off but at the same time, strangely similar to her.

"Damn it, Finn. You better be alright, you little turd." She sped up some more, that nagging voice in her brain was growing louder and she, for one of the few times in her life, was getting afraid.


	3. Chapter 3 - Seeds of Fear

**((This is an expanded chapter. The original one-shot that is this story has expanded and now the wyrm of this tale is burrowing into my brain. where it goes, I'm not sure... it will be interesting, I hope - Oh yeah, still don't own AT))**

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Chapter 3 – Seeds of Fear

"Are you sure?" Asks the fiery girl sitting on the rocky throne. She sat glaring at a handful of Flame Guards kneeling in front of her. The one in the lead nods, wary that that their failure might mean big trouble for all of them. The Fire Princess was unstable at times, disappointing her could be bad for anyone's long term health.

"Yes your Highness, we checked every store, warehouse, stock pile, back alley market and armory in the Fire Kingdom. The blade isn't here." One couldn't tell from looking at her, but the Flame Princess wasn't happy. She was trying to control her emotions, especially since these Guards weren't the real source of her frustrations. She glances up to the glass bell jar hanging over her head and the figure contained within.

"Did you move it, Father?" She glowers up at him. He sits up and shrugs, looking down at her while shaking his head.

"Honey, if I wanted that thing out in the open, I would have given it to you when you were younger." The Flame King smiles wickedly, "Then I wouldn't be in this predicament. Trust me, my daughter, that thing makes Evil afraid."

She stares at her father for a few more seconds, finally deciding that he was telling the truth for once. She returns her gaze to her guards. _Why the heck was it even still around?_ She waves off the guard, "Keep looking, double check everything and everywhere. It needs to be found." The guards salute, stand, turn face and march off, glad to be spared their queen's wrath. Flame Princess leans back against her throne, frowning as she contemplates the bad turn of events.

Since she took charge of the Kingdom, she tried to bring everything back into a state of order. Well, at least a lesser version of chaos that her father had sown throughout the kingdom. There were a lot of things that where dangerous to her people and she took it as her responsibility to do what she could to protect them. Various monsters had been destroyed, areas cleaned up, others blocked off. Then she found a list of artifacts that the Fire Kingdom had acquired over the centuries. All of them where located or confirmed destroyed but for one item: The Whispering Blade.

Stories that she found relating to the weapon spoke of horrible deeds committed by the welders of the blade. Somehow the blade influences its welders, both Good and Evil, whispering lies and stories, slowly driving them insane. They committed acts that even Evil beings considered wicked. The part that brought worried her the most was that they often became the victim of the weapon, either directly or indirectly. No welder of the blade lived to pass it on. Many welders tried to hide the blade, but most of them failed. Somehow her Grandfather realized what it was and managed to secure it away without falling under its influence.

"Father, why didn't Grandfather destroy it instead of hiding it away?" She stares off in front of her, not bothering to face him. He was silent for several minutes, then begrudgingly answers his daughter.

"I don't know. He only told me that it was a useful tool, but that even Evil has it's weakness and it was one. That's why he hid it in a dungeon. There once was a map, but I have no idea where it may be." Flame Princess sat bolt upright.

"A dungeon?"

"Oh yes, but trust me I looked. I have no idea where it would be."

_Oh no_, she thinks, _not a dungeon_. _Couldn't it have been anyplace else but a dungeon?_ This is really, REALLY not good. She props her chin against her hand, continuing to stare off and trying to think what she should do when Cinnamon Bun runs into the throne room, holding a scroll in his hands.

"Princess, Princess, I think this might be helpful." He was blue from his normal Fire shield spell, but now covered in grey dust. He turns the scroll around, holding it up so she could read it without touching it. It was a map and sure enough, it held directions to a dungeon. The description of the hidden treasure mentioned an evil blade that must be kept locked away. Her heart sank as she recognized her Grandfather's name in the bottom corner.

"Glob it. Thanks CB, that will help. Please take it to the Flame Guard, have them go there and retrieve the blade, immediately." CB turns to obey, but she leaps out of her throne. "Wait, tell them NOT TOUCH it. Have them use something to scoop it up or something, but NOT TO TOUCH it directly. It needs to be secured before it falls into the wrong hands, they don't need to be its next victim." CB stares at her for a second, before asking the obvious question.

"Who's hands would it be bad for, Princess?"

"Anyone's." She answers falling back into the throne, "If ANYONE welds the Whispering Blade, they will die by that blade." CB swallows, nods and runs off.

FP holds her head in her hands, her heart was hammering in her chest. Why her Grandfather had let something like that continue to exist, she'll never understand. Yes, the Flame Kingdom is supposed to be Evil, but sometimes there are things that just should not be. The Whispering Blade was one of them.

She was afraid, not of the artifact itself, but the damage it could cause to others. Or worse, she thinks shuttering. An icy tendril of fear crept into her fiery heart, founded by the completely rational fear that she knew of one person in all of Ooo that loved finding "lost" dungeons. Who knew how to locate lost hidden places and would willingly enter such places, just for fun.

"Oh Finn, I hope to Glob you didn't find this place." If her guards didn't locate this weapon soon, she was going to have to contact the Candy Kingdom. As much as she found that idea distasteful, she knew that she had to warn others of its existence, the whole land of Ooo may be in danger.


	4. Chapter 4 - Inner Wounds

**((Nope, still don't own them. yeap, back to the bad stuff. Let's get this show on the road))**

*****WARNING - MAY BE TRIGGERING*****

* * *

Chapter 4 - Inner Wounds

Darkness. Pain. Cold.

_None of them could take the time to remember... none of them. Why?_

_They didn't want me (y...o...u...), they only use me (y...o...u...), they... forgot me... (y...o...u...)_

_Why?_

Finn cracks open his eyes, staring numbly into darkness. His eyes wouldn't focus on anything. _Where am I, how did I get here? _His head pounds in reply. He tries to swallow and gags. His throat felt like he ate glass, he can taste copper in his mouth. Slowly he came to the realization that he was laying down on something hard, cold and flat. Confusion and fear starts to fill him. He tries to move, twitches slightly and groans as pain warns him against trying again.

He was numb, but in pain, horrible pain. It felt like every inch of his skin was on fire, but he was also freezing. Like his whole body had fallen asleep and was now waking up. His memory was fuzzy, like his sight. _What did I do? Where is everyone, am I alone? _Staring into the darkness before him, he realizes that he was utterly alone. He could feel it like a psychical weight sitting on his heart. His eyes drift shut as he lies there, breathing shallowly, listening to his heartbeat.

A memory drifts across his confused mind, a flash of silver. Of flare of pain, red blood.

_I'm still here? No one came looking? They truly don't care, no one cares._

His hand twitches, he feels something smooth and cool in his palm. Struggling to reopen his eyes, he manages to crack them enough to glimpse toward his hand. The silver blade, darkened by dried blood was still in his grasp. A faint smile graces his cracked lips. _His only friend_… he tries to grasp the hilt tighter, to move his friend closer to himself, but his strength is gone. His body was too weak to obey his command. If there were tears left in him, he would have shed them.

_I can't even do this right._

His eyes slip shut again as his mind finally drifts off.

* * *

Marceline flew faster than she realized, arriving at the treehouse in record time. It was still raining slightly, but her discomfort was minor. Being undead did offer some advantages, namely the cold didn't bother her like it did to the living. Landing softly in front of the main door, she wipes her damp hair out of her eyes reaching for the door knob. Even if it was locked, she knew she could get in via other methods, but as her fingers brush the knob, the door swings gently open.

_Not a good sign_. She thinks to herself, dropping into a crouch and nudging the door harder. An general sense of unease had been building within her during the trip. Finding the front door standing open did nothing to calm her discomfort. The faint light outside gives her enough illumination to see the piles of treasure lining the walls, but it also allows her to see the green object in the middle of the floor. Tip toeing into the room, she kneels down beside Finn's soggy backpack. It was spilt open, a faint red light was flashing from within. Carefully digging thru the bag, she pulls out Finn's phone. A small red light was flashing on it, indicating it had missed a call.

_This is getting worse and worse, why would Finn leave his backpack down here. Hell, why did he leave the door open?_ She tucks the phone in her free pocket and floats up, spying the ladder. Slowly, listening with every inch, she moves into the house, namely the main living room. She waits, taking in the silence of the place. It helps that she once lived in this place and knew the layout, but the atmosphere of the place was different.

Realizing there was no one in the room, she softly lands. The place looked grungier than she remembered, like the place hadn't been cleaned or even lived in for some time. Trash, clothes, papers and general stuff littered the place, but even though that was a normal state for Finn's home, it made her uneasiness grow. She steps forward and stops as her foot kicks something soft. Leaning over she picks up a cloth, almost dropping it as the shock of recognition hits her. It was a familiar white hat, Finn' white bear hat, the one she rarely ever saw off him.

Something else catches her eye in the dim lighting, a sheet of paper. Kneeling down, she can mostly make out the words, a note signed by Jake. She stands, her hand gripping Finn's hat so tightly her knuckles crack loudly in the silence. There was something horribly wrong here, Finn wouldn't just leave his things lying around like this, especially not his hat. Taking a risk at alerting anyone who might be hiding in the shadows, she calls out.

"Finn? Hey bud, you here? Finn!" Her voice echoes in the silence, but nothing replies. Silence. That horrible nagging voice in her skull is screaming, raising such a ruckus, for a second she almost believes that it's a real sound. She realizes that she's shivering, but it wasn't from the cold. She tucks Finn's hat into the waistband of her jeans and floats up, fear tickling her insides. Why she was afraid, she couldn't fathom, or rather she didn't want to guess. It made her cold heart even colder. She starts toward the ladder heading up.

* * *

_Flame Princess stood there, watching Finn holding BMO. "Finn, what are doing?"_

_"I'm trying to get a picture of you silly, I have one of all of my friends." She smiles, shyly waving at him as BMO's flash goes off. BMO hums and a square of white paper ejects from the front of the little robot. Finn grabs it and watches as the face of Flame Princesses slowly appears. He smiles and rubs his thumb across her face, smearing a red streak across the image. He stares at the photo, drawing it near his face, then looks at his thumb. He's bleeding._

_"What..." He's holding the picture, now framed and still smeared with blood. "No...no... NO!" He smashes the frame._

"Finn!" The words cut thru his mind like a knife, pulling him from the darkness he was floating in. His eyes force open, breath catching in his chest. _Did I hear something, someone?_ He starts shivering as fear grips him. His chest hurts at the thought of someone finding him floods his mind.

_What if someone was here, would they find him? No, no…. no…._

Although he was weakened, a sudden burst of energy brought out by fear gives him strength. He tugs his arm, feeling the skin pull and tingle. Tugging harder, he suddenly frees his arm from the dried pool of blood that glued his skin to the floor. Gasping in pain he moans softly, several of his wounds tore open at his movement. He pulls his arm toward his torso, gripping the thin silver blade with white knuckles.

"No… " his course voice rasps into the darkness around him.

* * *

Marceline emerges the ladderwell into Finn and Jake's bedroom, her breath catching in her throat. Stunned she drops to her feet, standing there, eyes wide with shock at the scene before her. Glass, wood and metal litter the floor by Finn's bed. But that wasn't the alarming part, covering the floor and everything on it, was blood. A lot of blood, dark red and drying.

The smell was overpowering to Marceline, she closes her eyes, hearing her heart thunder in her chest. The smell was intoxicating, but at the same time, sickening. It was old blood, split hours ago and drying. Worse yet, she knew the blood was Finn's. Shaking, she felt her fear. It was tangible, coiling in her guts like a snake thrashing to escape.

"No, this can't be," she hisses, struggling to control her breathing, to regain control over herself. If this was truly Finn's blood, she couldn't lose control now. She had to help him, had to find him, had to hope that she wasn't too late.

"No, Finn, no….." She stands there several minutes till her shaking stops and her breathing returns to normal. A dark idea whispers across her mind, but she can't believe it. Won't believe it. Minuets pass and she finally feels she has control of herself, she opens her eyes. The mess before her was still there but its effect on her wasn't as strong. Slowly she scans the area, taking in everything. Whoever did this, broke only what was on the dresser first, before ….. She swallows hard and forces herself to move.

Carefully stepping through the mess, avoiding the glass and larger puddles, she reaches an object that caught her eye, a small square of white. Several of them are lying on the floor, all of them splattered with blood. Reaching down, she picks up the closest one and she realizes instantly what she is holding. She stares into her own face, it was a photo. She remembers when this was taken, several years ago shortly after she met Finn and Jake. She looks down at the other squares, snatching them up. A picture of Finn and Jake, the next was of PB and the last, a torn picture of FP. These where Finn's friendship photos, some of his most prized possessions. Destroyed, ruined and cast aside like trash.

"Who would have done this? Why?" She whispers to herself. Anger, stronger than her fear, was boiling up in her. Her eyes darken, her fangs sharpen and protrude from her lips. Although her mind offered an explanation, she is torn between her gut instinct and hoping is was some outside force responsible. She drops the photos and spins around. If this is Finn's blood, she can track him by it. She inhales, breathing the scent of it deeply and walks forward. Time to figure out what is going on now.

* * *

Pain, pain was all he felt. His breath felt like it was being torn from him, his heart beat like a frightened beast caged by his ribs. Slowly he drags his friend close, resting it so the pommel was against his chest. He knew it would be over soon, his friend would help end his pain, end his suffering and let him rest in peace.

Peace, he wanted nothing more than peace. He was tired of being the hero, tired of being the last one to be considered, the only one not wanted, not cared for, unloved.

Drawing the deepest breath he could and holding it, he forces his hand up, placing the sharp edge of the blade against the hallow of his throat. It wouldn't take much pressure, one last burst of his waning strength and peace would be his. Closing his eyes, he tries to press the blade down, his last breath hissing thru cracked lips.

"FINN!" The voice stops him, as if a band of steel clamped down on his arm. He feels the tip of the dagger nick his skin, but what strength he had evaporated at the sound of his name.

He holds still, hoping it wasn't real._ No, go away. Leave me be._


	5. Chapter 5- Lost & Don't Want To Be Found

**((Ok, it's now updated to 100% on this chapter, I couldn't get it out of my skull. Glob it to heck, my imagination is too strong and way too vivid. Sill don't own AT either. COMMENT PLEASE!))**

*****WARNING - MAY BE TRIGGERING *****

* * *

Chapter 5 - Lost and Don't Want To Be Found

Marceline flew past rooms in the house, her nose pointing the direction. Even without her sense of smell, she would have been able to follow the trail. Small droplets of blood litter the floors, here a smeared hand print against the wall, there a small table knocked over into the hallway. She rushes thru the mess, not bothering to check the rooms she passes.

Within a few minutes, she lands before a heavy door, slightly cracked open. Water has pooled on the floor, signaling that it's been open overnight during the storm. She knows this door, it leads to a secluded section of the treehouse, one of the uppermost areas of the whole place. Her anger was still raging and she grabs the door, throwing it open exposing the rain cloud filled skies. Furious, she walks out onto an open air bridge.

It was raining again, nature washing away any signs of the blood that may have been left and diluting the scent. But it didn't matter, the bridge only lead to one place, a small elevated canopy. She floats over the bridge, fear once again rising, but her rage still giving her strength to move. To access the canopy, there was a small rope pulley that one used as a manual elevator. Marceline stares at the bucket, tipped on its side, the rope cut cleanly through.

A low peal of thunder echoes across the sky and she looks up into the dark access hole above her. _He had to be in there, dear Glob..._

"Finn?" She calls out, but no sound returns. Clenching her fists, she rises up into the darkness, dreading what she would find.

As her head clears the floorboards, she sees nothing but an old torn poster on the wall. Her gut heaves as the smell hits her and she whips around, scanning the small room. If she was mortal, the sight that filled her vision might have been enough to cause a heart attack, even now she felt as if her heart locked up and skipped a beat.

Finn, lay on the floor, shirtless and pale. He was curled on his side, covered in blood. Even in the gloom, she saw the small dagger held to his throat. For a second panic blinds her, pushing away both fear and anger. Then she watches has he pushes the blade into his skin.

"FINN!" His name rips out of her. A small bead of blood appears where the blade pierces his skin and it breaks the spell over her. She lunges forward, watching in horror as he seemingly attempts to push the dagger deeper. She's at his side in a breath, grabbing his hand and wrenching the blade away from his neck. The force of her action whips the blade out of his hand to clatter against the far wall.

Marceline drops to her knees in front of him, panic has wiped reason from her as she stares down at the young man. _Do something, NOW, he's DYING!_ She was shaking, but carefully rolls Finn over onto his back. He's covered in gashes, some of them leaking a thin trickle of blood feeding the semi-dry pool he's laying in. His bare chest rises with a shallow breath, sounding labored. She presses his wrist, trying to find a pulse, gives up and tries his neck. It's there but so weak.

She leans over him and brushes some of his blonde hair from his face. _Oh Finn, what happened to the happy little boy, what drove you to do this?_ He was so pale, his cheeks were sunken and dark circles shadow his eyes. Tears start to fall as she carefully gathers the youth, cradling him like a child, whispering his name. _How come I didn't notice this, I mean, hell, I've gone down this road myself. Oh Finn..._

"Finn, oh, Finn. Why? Why this?" Her heart feels dead, her soul hurts. _How in the hell did I miss something like this?_ He stirs in her arms, opening bloodshot eyes.

* * *

He feels someone, something touching him. He didn't want anyone to find him, he wants peace.

"Finn, oh, Finn. Why? Why this?" The voice is familiar, but when it should bring comfort, all is did was stir thoughts and feelings of shame. He forces his eyes open, trying to focus on a pale shape above him. Something touches his face, almost lovingly, like a mother would do to comfort a sick child.

_That's all I am, a sick child. Forever a child..._

His sight clears and he stares up into Marceline's pale face. She was crying, her tears falling on his worthless body. _Oh, Marcy... please, no._ He struggles to lift his arm, to comfort her, even though he knew it was his doing, his stupidity that is hurting her. He didn't care anymore about ending his suffering, his torment and pain. All he wants is to make her stop crying.

"Mar...cy?" She smiles weakly down at him, grabbing his hand. He grimaces in pain. Still crying, she leans down and places her forehead against his, her red eyes burning into his.

"Finn, why? Why?"

"Sor...ry, I..." He gasps, but trying to talk and breathe was proving too much. Between the injuries to his throat, blood loss and more, the last of his strength finally gives out. He shutters in her arms and goes limp. Her eyes go wide.

"Finn, Finn! " She shakes him lightly but it gets no response from the boy. She staggers to her feet, clutching him to her chest, locking her fingers behind him. Swiftly turning, she leaps thru the hole in the floor and lands hard on the deck below. Finn moans softly in her arms. The rain was coming down hard again, but she felt nothing but the weak, dying boy in her arms.

"Please hang on Finn." She leaps out, gathering speed, trying to out race death back to the Candy Kingdom.

* * *

Princess Bubblegum was pacing, she didn't know what else to do. So far, every report back came back with negative signs of Finn. No one had seen him since the morning before. In desperation, she activated the GPS device she had hidden on Finn. The little red dot on the screen matched the coordinates of his treehouse. With Marcy on the way there and no word from her yet, all she could is wait.

She was beyond worry at this point, fear had lodged itself in her mind and she was trying to keep busy to prevent it from overpowering her.

"Your Highness," Peppermint Butler interrupts causing her to jump and grab her chest. She stands there for a second, gasping. _Whoa, I'm way too wound up, need to relax._

"Sorry, I didn't mean..." She waves at him, dismissing his apology, it was her fault for not paying more attention. For letting fear cloud her mind. When she finally catches her breath and calms her nerves, she addresses him.

"It's alright, any news?" He shakes a dismaying no.

"But I do have other news, Lady Rainicorn and Jake have arrived." She nods, heading out into the hall. It gave her something to do other than worry. Pep Butler falls in behind, closing the door. She hurries down to the throne room where she finds Lady Rainicorn and Jake. Jake isn't taking things too well, since it's still raining, he's soaked but too obsessed with worry to care. Lady looks to PB, then back to Jake.

**Jake...**

Jake is pacing nervously in a circle, but looks up at Lady then in the direction she was facing. As soon as he sees Bubblegum, he rushes over to her, grabbing on to her dress.

"Any word, any at all?" His eyes are large and she can clearly read the worry in his face. She kneels down and grabs him in a hug. He's shaking, cold and wet. She needs to get him taken care of so he doesn't get sick.

"Not not yet. No one in the Candy Kingdom has seen him since yesterday and Marceline hasn't called in." She leans back and Jake whines softly. It wasn't like Finn to just disappear on him. Something was very wrong, Jake knows it's all his fault.

"It's all my fault. How in Glob did I forget Finn's 16th birthday. I've been planning a super bomb party for years, heck, even the Party God offered to help set things up." Jake just stands there, shaking and wringing is paws together. Bubblegum stands there, watching Jake for a few seconds.

"You're right Jake." She says absentmindedly. Lady gasps at her as Jake whimpers louder. She pats Jake's head, "No Jake, not that it's your fault, that you could have forgotten something so important. In fact," she stares off, not focusing on the room or its inhabitants at all.

"How did ALL of us forget something this important?"

Jake stares up into her pink face as Lady floats over and coils around Jake, trying to comfort him.

**I didn't remember either.** She offers, but PB just shakes her head.

"You're not as close to Finn as Jake or even myself, no offence Lady." She adds, although Lady understands and merely nods in agreement.

"Jake sometimes has memory issues, but to forget something like this is out of character for him. As well as myself. I know I have the date written on several calendars, but how I managed to totally forget is strange." She wonders if Marceline had written the date anywhere, cause to have all of them forget something like this was highly suspicious. She stands there, thinking, pondering what would be necessary to make all of them forget a single event when the doors to the throne room slam open.

Everyone, including Peppermint Butler, jump and stare in shock at the figure in the doorway. At first no one can process what they are seeing, then it hits all of them. Marceline stands there, soaked to the skin, holding the half naked form of Finn in her arms. The flight back had been desperate, at the speed in which Marcy flew, the rain became a pelting force. Instead of washing Finn of his dried blood, it just allowed the wounds to reopen and start bleeding again.

Marcy takes a step forward, rainwater and blood dripping from both of them and collapses to her knees. PB turns to Pep Butler, screaming, "Go get Doctor Ice Cream, NOW!" Pep Butler, knocked from his stupor by the force of PB's command, quickly runs off to find the Doctor. PB runs forward, stripping off her lab coat. She comes up to Marcy and can see that the Vampire has been crying, hard. Her eyes are red and puffy, she can't tell if it's water dripping from her hair or tears.

Jake is frozen in place, his mouth open in shock. He can't move, he can't believe what he is seeing, his bro, Finn bloody in the arms of Marcy.

"Marcy...what happened?" PB tries to ask, but Marcy just shakes her head. She spreads her coat over Finn and touches the side of his neck. He's cold to the touch, but she can feel a faint heartbeat. He's still alive, for now explanations can wait.

"Can you walk?" Marcy simply nods and with PB's help, regains her feet. Just as they were about to head inside, the same door Pep Butler went thru, opens. Doctor Ice Cream was there with a stretcher. He meets Marcy halfway across the room and she gently lowers Finn's covered form on the table. Doctor Ice Cream just stares down at the human for a second, wondering how he managed to suffer such injuries, but then pushes the table back toward the doors. Pep Butler goes with him, assisting in maneuvering the stretcher toward the hospital wing.

Everyone turns toward Marcy, waiting. She walks over to Jake, still frozen in shock. Dropping to her knees in front of the yellow dog, she reaches around and encompasses him in a hug. Jake stiffens for a second, being this close to the vampire was enough to make his shock break. She nuzzles into Jake and starts sobbing. Tears come to his eyes as well, but he manages to stifle them for the sake of Marcy.

Jake eyes Lady and PB, but then wraps his arms around Marcy. Several minutes pass and slowly her sobs taper off. Finally, she lets go of Jake, sitting back on her heels. Jake just stares back at her. He doesn't even know where to begin. Behind them, both PB and Lady are crying softly, holding each other.

"He did it to himself." She softly says, keeping eye contact with Jake. "I found him... before he could finish it." She was numb to the very core of her soul.

"What? ..." It takes a few seconds to fully process what Marcy said. "Why? I don't understand... Finn's never been like this before." He feels as cold as if the Ice King had encased him in another block of ice._ Why would Finn ever want to hurt himself?_ _He's never been ... depressed... like this before. I mean, FP broke his heart, but that was more than a year ago. He always said he was over it._

A tear rolls down Jake's face as the conclusion hits him. Finn wasn't over it, not in a long shot. Since the kids came around, he's been spending most of his time with Lady, not with his bro. He knew he had been acting off the last few months, but to do something like this. Jake didn't understand, he couldn't understand.

PB and Lady come up behind the two of them, PB dropping to the floor beside Jake, hugging him. Lady coils around all of them.

Through the open door behind all of them, lightning flashes and the rain continues to fall.


	6. Chapter 6 - Whispers

**((Hope I haven't pissed off too many people. Yes it's dark and cruel. I think even my poor twisted brain refused to let poor Finnie suffer for no reason. The next chapter is already running like a rapid weasel through my gray matter, so it's just a matter of catching it and writing it down. Also - still not an owner :( Comments?))**

* * *

Chapter 6 - Whispers

Back in the treehouse, something stirs in the gloom. Faintly a light grows, dispelling the darkness and slowly illuminating the room Finn was recently rescued from. The originator of this glow is the small silver dagger, lying discarded against the wall. As the light grows in strength, the bloodstains seem to fade away. If one would be there and listened hard enough, a faint whispering sound might be heard underneath the soft sound of the rain showers.

_It wasn't pleased._

_It's prey had escaped._

_The delay was only temporary. It has happened many, many times before._

_It had its freedom._

_It's will could not be denied._

_It was patient._

_It had all the time in the world._

_The fool would finish what was started._

_They always do, the whispers take care of them._

_It would only be a matter of time._

The blade suddenly flashes bright white and disappears. Somewhere, in darkness it reforms. Hidden. Waiting.

_Time was on its side...Time, it's only friend..._

* * *

PB was standing outside her private bathroom as Marcy finishes dressing. All of this seemed impossible, so wrong. Yes, she didn't fully understand how humans behave, but this seems out of the normal for any other lifeform she understood. _Why would Finn, Finn of all people, do something like this?_ _It was so opposite of everything that he is._ She was tapping her temple as the door opens and Marcy emerges, finishing up drying her hair. She was dressed in a pink shirt and grey sweats, the only thing PB had that wasn't overly girlie in her wardrobe. Her eyes were still red, but the vacant look she had was gone. If anything she looked angry.

"PB?" She asks, noticing the distracted look of the other woman. PB snaps out of her thoughts, waving her over as she walks to the bed stand. Marcy floats after as PB pulls out a small book, unlocking it and flips rapidly thru the pages.

"So, I am right." PB mutters, her ire rising. She was right, something strange is going on and she doesn't like the direction it's going.

"Right?"

PB whips around, shoving the book in Marcy's face. It was a dairy, the page before her had yesterday's date on it. Written in bright pink ink was "FINN'S BIRTHDAY" across the page. Marcy grabs the book, wondering what PB was going on about.

PB turns, jogging over the wall and rips off a calendar. Rejoining her friend, she holds it up to the vampire who scans the front. On the same day for the calendar, was a smudge, like someone had erased something. Marcy stares at the mark, then the dairy, then at PB. She felt like she was missing something obvious, but important.

"I checked all three of my calendars, all three have been altered. My note for Finn's Birthday was erased." Marcy drifts to her feet, lost in thought. She had also written the date on her calendar, a large sucker hanging in the kitchen, right by the fridge. Her note was in red ink, easily visible. Yet, she never saw it before she left.

"I would bet that your calendar would also have it erased." PB answers her puzzling look.

"What a minute. So you're telling me, someone broke into the castle, and possibly my place, to erase the notes we made about Finn's birthday?" PB nods. Marcy looks back at the book in her hand, "So the reason this is still here..."

"It's my dairy, like I'd keep that in the open. Heck, I have to keep moving it because Pep But keeps "finding" it and trying to read it." PB takes the book from her, locking it and walks back to the bed. She lifts the mattress up, shoving it underneath. Not the best hiding place, but there are more important things to worry about.

"But why would someone want us to forget Finn's birthday?" Marcy asks, still confused. "Why would someone want us to ignore Finn? What outcome could..., " The words die midstream as a disheartening thought occurs to her. PB heads back over to her crossing her arms, waiting for the vampire to come to the same conclusion. She stares into PB's face, eyes wide.

"Someone was trying to trigger Finn into ..." Although Marcy was already pale, she turns a shade lighter. PB had come to the same disturbing conclusion. Someone used Finn's birthday as a trigger, to push him over whatever mental edge he had already been teetering on. Someone did this on purpose.

Marcy's eyes flash to red, temporarily losing control of her anger. She clenches her fists, trembling in rage. _They WANTED Finn to hurt himself._ PB knew Marcy wouldn't take the news well, but her reaction alarms her. She reaches out and grabs the woman's shoulder.

"They WANTED Finn to kill himself?!" Marcy snarls. "What sick evil-hearted person would want to do that to Finn?" She was furious, her anger wants an outlet, but she didn't know where to direct it. PB squeezes her shoulder, roughly, trying to make Marcy to take notice.

"It would appear so, Marcy." Her voice sounds sad and that caught Marcy's attention. Still enraged, she realizes that this explanation came to her first, that she probably also felt the same gut-wrenching mix of rage, anger and misery. The other woman looks as heartbroken as she felt. Her rage backs down to a simmer, now wasn't the time or place for it. _Someone is going to pay for this._

"I know if Jake had written it down, it's probably been erased as well." PB offers, trying to offer everything she has used to come to her conclusion so far.

"So how do we find out who has done this. I mean, Finn has made many enemies, but none that I can think of who would be so cruel hearted as this. It's just plain evil." PB frowns. _And yes, it was evil._ Marcy's words trigger a new thought and a name pops up in her mind. _No, she wouldn't do something like this... would she? I wouldn't think she would be capable, but... I also never thought that Finn would try to kill himself._

Marcy watches PB closely, it becomes obvious that she knows something, it's written on her face. She shakes off PB's hand, grabbing the other woman by the arms, facing her down.

"Who would do this, Bonniebell?" PB swallows, her voice seems stuck in her throat. She didn't have any proof to back up this idea, but it would make sense, in a sick twisted way. Marcy grows impatient and shakes PB's.

"WHO?" PB cringes, but concedes. She would need the others, both for herself and Finn, this wouldn't be something she can deal with herself.

"I have no proof, but who do we know that would have a reason to hate Finn and may consider herself evil?" She can't meet Marcy's eyes. The idea of the possibly that she could have done this to Finn hurts as much as what has happened to Finn. It makes her candy heart ache. Marcy stands there, thinking, trying to piece together the puzzle. _Simon wasn't capable of something like this and the Assassins' Guild was more direct. The Lich could, it would enjoy the possibility of corrupting the hero that stopped him, but PB said it was a she. A she..._

"Flame Princess?" Marcy growls. PB simply nods. Marcy lets go of her, closing her eyes. _That little fire whelp, could she really have done this to Finn? I mean, she was on about how she was evil, but to turn on Finn like this? That would be cruel in a way I never thought she could summon forth._

"As I said, I have no proof and I can't go around accusing other Royalties' of attempted murder without it." PB sighs. It was true, if she could find anything that pointed to FP's hand in this, she couldn't get the other kingdoms to back her to confront FP. Without it, it was too dangerous to accuse her, her reaction might start up a full-fledged war.

"Then we need to find proof, one way or another." Marcy adds, reaching up to grip her shoulder. PB nods.

"But first, let's check on Jake. He's got to be taking this hard." Both women nod, turning to leave.

* * *

Lady turns at the sound of a soft knock at the door. She has been watching Jake, worrying on how this was effecting him. How was she going to explain this to the kids? Flying over, she opens it to find Bubblegum and Marcy waiting.

"How's Jake, Lady?" PB asks, looking past her into the room.

**Not good. I can't get him to talk to me.** She looks over her shoulder at him. **He just sits there.** She pulls aside, allowing the two women into the room. They spy Jake sitting over by the fireplace, staring off into the flames. PB hugs Lady lightly as Marcy wanders over to Jake. She felt she had a responsibility to the yellow furball. Finn was her friend, but he was the dog's brother. She had brought him the news and she felt she had to make sure he would be alright, would be able to help Finn. Kneeling she places a hand on his knee. He shifts his gaze down to her hand, staring at it numbly.

"Jake, listen, I know you aren't good. I know this is a major shock, but I need you to stay strong buddy." Marcy hopes he can pull himself together. If he can't, things are going to go from bad to worse for Finn. Jake opens his mouth, but closes it without saying a word. PB joins them, kneeling down on the other side of him.

"Jake, Marcy's right. Finn needs you, if you can't be there for him..." PB knows it's a harsh reality to force on Jake, but it was true. He might be the only person who can. He had to see that shutting down like this wasn't going to help anyone, most importantly his brother.

Jake turns toward PB and sighs, then hangs his head. He felt like a total failure. He let his brother down, broke his promise to their parents. _What happened? Oh Glob, it was all my fault._

Marcy and PB exchange glances, this wasn't working. PB nods and puts her hand under Jake's chin, raising his face to meet hers.

"Someone caused this to happen, Jake. Not you, myself or Marcy." He blinks, she had gotten thru his glumness. "Somebody erased my calendar notes reminding me of Finn's birthday." He blinks more, tilting his head as she continues. "My personal diary still had its entry, because it was hidden."

"PB's right," His eyes shift over to Marcy's face. "I had it written in plain sight, where I couldn't miss it. Screaming red, big letters and, well I didn't remember because it wasn't there anymore." Jake's furrows his brow as his eyes take on a hard edge. He may not be the brightest bulb in the box, but he still could put 2 and 2 and come up with 4.

"Are you saying, that someone wanted us to intentionally forget, to push my brother to do that to himself?" His words have a snarl to them, his eyes narrowing in anger. Both ladies nod yes, waiting for his reaction. Suddenly Jake snaps fully upright.

"Who did this, Bubblegum. WHO?" The ladies eye each other, not sure if they should give him the information he wants. Jake wasn't the most levelheaded, he tended to be prone to violent outbursts and actions. He may just run off to take revenge that they couldn't prove justified.

"Jake, I have an idea, but I can't take action until I have proof. I..." He brushes aside both ladies, jumping to his feet, growing to match their size. He spins around, shaking a hand at PB, furious. _How dare she not tell me!_

"PB... If you know who did this, TELL ME NOW!" PB recovers her composure, shaking her head no and crossing her arms. He grows in size till he towers over PB, roughly shoving Marcy aside into the Lady. They both tumble back into the room.

"TELL ME!" It takes all of her reserve to keep still and not react, but PB simply shakes her head no again. Jake roars, throwing his hands up in the air, shaking all over.

"Not till you promise two things." She calmly states. Breathing heavily, he leers down at the candy woman. She doesn't move and slowly, like a deflating balloon, his anger dissipates and he shrinks back to normal size.

"Fine. What?" PB swallows, glad that he saw reason. She felt horrible for Jake, for not telling him up front, but she also worries about him. She knew he would do anything for Finn, even die trying to take revenge. They almost lost one of the brothers, she didn't want to lose anyone else.

"One: you will stay here, with Finn, until I have proof that this person did this to Finn." He growls as she continues, "And Two: you won't take any action against this person, even if we have proof, until we can make sure they can be brought to justice." Plain and simple, she wants to make sure he can't find a easy loopholes to run off on. He glowers at her, thinking her offer over.

"Fine, I promise."

"You ROYAL Promise?" PB quickly asks. Jake rolls his eyes, but agrees.

"Yes. Fine. I Royal Promise that I will stay here with Finn and not go after whoever this person is, until you say we are good to go. Happy?" PB nods, rising. Marcy and Lady join them. Marcy knows the dog is upset, but throwing them around and threatening his friends won't fix this. She's glad PB was able to stand up to him and make him promise to not run off hot-headed.

"So, who do you think did this?"

"Flame Princess."


	7. Chapter 7 - Questions with No Answers

**((Ask and you receive - Chapter 7. Hold on to the feels, they are running around all wild. Still not an owner.))**

* * *

Chapter 7 - Questions with No Answers

"Flame Princess."

"Excuse me, Princess." Everyone starts, turning to face the newcomer who has silently entered the room. Doctor Ice Cream was standing there, waiting to address Bubblegum. PB steps forward, secretly glad for the interruption.

"Doctor, how is Finn?" The Doctor walks further into the room as they gather toward the Ice Cream cone in the lab coat. He pulls out a clipboard from under his arm and offers it to Bubblegum.

"As you can see your Highness, he is stable now. Thankfully, his dehydration helped as much as it hurt him. Without it, he may not have survived." PB flips through the reports, reading the findings and records of what has been done. She notices that they used 3 pints of her synthetic blood substitute that she recently invented. Finn, being human and not candy based, needed a different format of blood substitute than her normal subjects. They tried others before and it made him sicker, but it looks like this batch was perfect._ But 3 pints, by Grod, that's allot of fluid loss._

"He's not showing any signs of rejection?" She asks, still scanning the reports, noting that the doctor took her suggestions to heart. The others stand silent, many questions wait to be answered, but all of them know that this was PB's world. She was the one who understood the medical jargon and scientific documentation. If she was satisfied with the answers, they would trust her.

"None. Your suggestion to use saline instead of sugar syrup was key. His injuries weren't overly severe, but it was the sheer amount of them that caused the most problems, complicated by the dehydration and…" Jake tunes out, he had enough. They were discussing Finn as if he was some candy corn lab rat, not his brother. All this science talk wasn't telling him how his bro was doing.

"Enough! Finn's alive, yes?" He asks, pushing forward. Doctor Ice Cream nods, "Good, then I can see him."

"Well, he's unconscious, but yes, Jake you may..." That was all he needed to hear, Jake doesn't care about anything else. Without another word, Jake runs from the room, pushing between PB and Doctor Ice Cream. Lady looks to PB then to the open door. Should she go with Jake or not? She was torn, still feeling guilty over taking up so much of Jake's time. PB walks over to the Rainicorn, pulling her head down and placing her forehead again hers. She nuzzles the Rainicorn, giving her a comforting hug then steps back to address her.

"Go with him Lady, remember, it's not your fault anymore than its Jakes." Lady looks at her friend with sad eyes, her heart happy that the candy monarch does understand the silent war she was having within herself. Even with her deep sense of guilt, she wants to support Jake as much as she can, to help make things right. She knows he'll need it in the long run. Her mind made up, she flies off after Jake.

* * *

Jake opens the familiar door of the hospital ward with a sense of dread. He's been here many times over the years, for various issues, but this time was completely different. Steadying himself, he enters the darkened room.

The standard double rows of beds greet him, all but one, empty. Slowly he makes his way to the resting form of his brother. He's not used to dealing with emotions, especially heavy ones like this, but forces himself to hold strong as he comes to stand beside the bed containing his brother.

_Finn looks horrible. _He frowns down at the sleeping human. Finn was covered in bandages up both arms and chest, two IV's are hooked up to him as well as other various medical devices. The machine on his left beeps softly with his slow steady heartbeat. His blonde hair was dirty and tangled, his skin sickly pale with dark circles around his eyes. Jake has seen Finn pretty bad off before, but this was the worst. _He almost looks dea…._ He refuses to let himself finish that thought. It just hurt looking at him, knowing that his brother did these things to himself.

He feels tears trying to form, overwhelming sadness building and tries to fight the desire to simply break down. _PB was right_, he thinks, wiping a stray tear from his eye, _I need to stay strong for Finn_. Then he notices the thick leather strap around Finn's wrist. Looking across the bed, he sees a matching one. They had him restrained, like some wild animal. He reaches out and grasps his brother's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Finn shows no response, continuing to lie there.

_Even if she's right and someone pushed him to this_, a soft whimper escapes him, _he's gonna need me more than ever when he wakes up. _He looks around and spies a chair by another bed, stretching his other arm out to snag it. Bringing it to Finn's bedside, he carefully seats himself as close as he can get to Finn without crawling on the bed with him.

"Hey, bro, " He pats the hand he's holding, "I know you can't hear me, but that's ok. I just want you to know that I'm here, that I'm truly sorry things got like this, that you felt..." Words escape Jake, he doesn't really know how his brother felt, what thoughts ran through his mind that convinced him that hurting himself was the best option.

_Damn it to Grob, I know Mom and Dad are looking down at me in shame. I promised I would take of Finn. I mean, heck, I'm the only family he has left. I'm supposed to be there for him_. More tears threaten, but he holds fast to Finn's hand, stroking it gently.

_I mean how does one even think causing pain to their self will help them feel better?_ Another tear forms and this time he lets it take its course down his face. How much of this was his fault, even if PB is right. He didn't think that Finn's breakup with Flame Princes was that bad,_ I'm mean he finally started acting like his normal self for awhile there_._ He told me that he was over her._ It never occurred to Jake that his brother was lying. He sat there some time, mulling his thoughts over.

Could PB be right? Could Flame Princess really have done this to Finn? Make him pay the ultimate price for hurting her?

"Buddy, I hope for your sake and hers, that she is not responsible." Although he holds anger at the thought that she might be capable of wanting to hurt Finn like this, he also knows that if it holds any amount of truth, it will hurt Finn even more. It's almost too much to think about, he can't be sure how Finn would react, not considering his recent actions.

"Oh Finn, I wish you would have talked to me. Anything, but this." He finally gives in to the sorrow and lets the tears come as they may.

* * *

Outside the door to the ward, Lady Rainicorn watches her beloved sit by his brother's side. She can't quite hear what Jake was saying to the still form of Finn, but she can see the tears streaming down his face. She's torn, stay here and let Jake have his time with Finn or go to him and comfort him. She shakes her mane, trying to drive away her own tears, but finally her heart forces her to move.

She pushes the door open and flies silently over to Jake, landing at the foot the bed.

**Jake?** He turns toward Lady, tears and snot staining his sad doggy face. Her heart melts, she rushes over to him, nuzzling him. He returns the gesture, regaining some of his composure. She carefully loops herself around the chair, taking care to not disturb the bed.

**I'm sorry Jake, I feel that this is my fault too.** She closes her eyes, sighing. She feels a dull ache inside her heart.

"What, no Lady. It's not, I mean..." Jake understands why she would feel this way, but he can't let her try to shoulder this burden. Her reaches up and pulls her muzzle to face him, planting a quick kiss.

"I understand honey, but I won't let you take the blame. If it's anyone's fault, it's...," She cuts him off, returning his kiss, silencing him.

**We can share it, but only if we both work on repairing it. Fair?" Jake smiles up Lady.

"And this is why I love you so much Lady, you always know the right thing to say."

* * *

**So I had an epiphany today, a strange addition and way to possibly link the two stories I have in my head. The "light-bulb" moment involves a song I was walking around in the heat with, jamming out in my own little world (damn weasel). After singing the first line, the story popped up in my head to match the song (well, some words have to be altered to fit the land of Ooo better). Yes, full-on epic movie with color, sound and so forth. Grob it, my imagination can run wild (weasel).**

**So yes, there will a songfic thrown in to the mix, BUT... (wait for it) it's MUCH later, epically later :P**

**But I shall torment you with the name of said song: Avenged Sevenfold - Danger Line**


	8. Chapter 8 Spiral Descent

Chapter 8 – Spiral Descent

Darkness.

Darkness and an overwhelming sense of nothingness. That was all he could remember, his sense of time was gone. Hours, days, weeks or maybe even years, he didn't know how much time he spent in the darkness. He can remember being here before, flitting snatches of memories that drift away as soon as he thinks he caught them.

The worst part was the fear of this place, the unspoken soul devouring fear that he was trapped here forever. Forever alone.

_You are not… Alone… we are with… you… You…_

The whispering surrounds him, many voices all speaking the same words. Although he's lost his orientation, his sense of his body remains. He knew he had been alone, but now he can feel something approaching. The fear in his core grows stronger.

**_Who are you?_**

_We are… Your friend…_

A white light forms before him, blinding in its intensity. He cowers back. Finally something has broken this existence, but it feels wrong. His fear amplifies, a deep sense of dread and utter wrongness grips him, he doesn't understand why. Trying to hold up his hands to block the light, he finds that it is all encompassing, surrounding him, but yet he is still in the dark.

**_My friend?_** Flashes of color assault him. Pinks and yellows, various shades of black and red, swirling together in a chaotic mix that makes his stomach turn.

_They… Are not your … friends…_

The colors coalesce into faces. Faces of his friends, his family. Princess Bubblegum, her smiling face radiates joy and laughter. Jake, his doggy brother and best pal, smiling and happy. Marceline, even her face has a faint smile, happiness in her eyes. His friends…..

**_What, no. You're wrong. Those are my friends, my family! Where are they, where am I?_**

_Friends… would care about you… want you… need you…_

_Friends would remember you…_

_Never hurt you…_

_Lie to you…_

Pain stabs his head, as the colors return in their maddening dance. Sounds erupt into the mix. Laughter, but not happy, joyful sounds, rather mocking and taunting.

PB's voice drifts by, "Oh Finn, you're just a child." **…_what? No, I_…**

"Ah, Finn, I got no time for you, Lady needs me…" Jake's voice floats pass.

"Please Finn, I've got more important things to do…" Marceline's voice, tainted with anger.

**_NO, no, you're lying, my friends didn't say that…. They_**_… _The hurt inside his heart almost matches the pain in his head. This can't be real, no, it's wrong….. Events didn't pass like this…**_Did they?_**

_They left you on your own… own…_

"Finn, really! I've got no time for such games. Honestly, I wish you'd grow up." His heart trembles at the sound of Bubblegum's voice echoing in his head. He can see her standing there, hands on her hips scowling down at him.

**_No, no_…** it didn't happen that way, **_she… She…_**

_Meant every word she spoke… she doesn't care for you… you…_

_You are a tool, an object to be used as she…sees… fit…_

"Hey, Finn, can you go get me this… Finn, there you are, I need you go do… Finn, I have an important job I need you do…" More versions of this theme circle around inside his skull, overpowering him. **_No, no….. it's not true!_**

"I need you to try this potion, Finn."

_She has always used you… she never cared any more than that….._

"Go find out what has happened to…."

**_NO….. she….. she…_**

_Loved you…. You know she doesn't…she lead you on….made you feel special…._

_Important…_

**_Yes…_**Flashes of a vision cuts through him. Bubblegum smiling at him, handing over the sweater that helped him defeat the Lich, of her planting a gentle kiss on his check at the Wizard battle, of the thirteen year version of her hiding with him, planning to prank Lemongrab…

_She never cared for you…. _Her refusal on the steps of the Candy place telling him he has to "move on" and that he was "such a silly boy"… her brushing him off after finding Lemonhope, letting him know that he needed to grow up.

_Ever…_

_And never will…_

**_NO! YOU ARE LYING! Princess Bubblegum would never use me, NEVER! She cares for ….._**His head is splitting, it feels like a tremendous pressure is building inside, threatening to crack his skull open.

_Everyone? All the subjects… in HER… kingdom…_

_Her candy kingdom…_

_Where you don't belong… aren't … one of her subjects…_

_One of her creations…_

_YOU ARE A TOOL… Tool… fool…_

_A slave to her whims….._

_She uses your trust… your faith in her… to get what SHE wants… she desires…_

_Never what you want…_

_What you need…_

**_What I need… what I feel…why PB, why…You said I was your Hero….._**

_Hero… is just another name… for…fool_

Devastation, heartbreak and shame floods him. He can't see why he was so stupid, so willingly to do everything she asked, no questions answered. Even after she brushed him aside the first time, he was willing to let that go, to try and show her that we capable of being more mature. Of trying to be grown up. The man she_ …**Was she playing me this whole time, using me? Was I one of her experiments?**_

Somewhere in the dark, laughter can be heard whispering…..It was only a matter of time…..

* * *

PB and Marcy watch Lady Rainicorn fly after Jake, both of them wondering how he was going to hold up to seeing Finn. _This was going to be a long day_, PB thinks as she turns back to the Doctor, handing him back the clipboard.

"Did you take all the precautions?" He nods, pushing up his glasses.

"He's been restrained and sedated. You are correct that when he wakes up, he may be very upset and alarmed. A wise precaution, Princess." Marcy starts, turning her stare on PB, this time her ire rising at the candy women.

"Restrained, what the heck? Why?" PB signals she's done with Doctor Ice Cream, who understands the vampire has questions that need answers. He tucks the clipboard back under his arm and heads out. Finn won't regain consciousness until sometime tomorrow, if things go well. For now, the crisis has been averted.

As the door closes behind Doctor Ice Cream, Marcy lays into PB.

"Spill it Bonnie, why do you have Finn tied down." She's angry, it's bad enough that she was the one to find Finn, then to learn that someone probably pushed him to the brink of suicide. And now to find out he's been tied down, treated like he's dangerous or worse. She's furious. Her rage still hasn't gotten it's outlet and its simmering just below the surface, ready to boil over. Marching up to the pink woman, she pokes her hard in the shoulder, forcing her to stumble.

"Marceline, you've got to understand, I did this because I don't want things to get worse. You of all people I would have thought, would understand." PB knows a lot of the vampire's history, the ups and downs of her life up to this point. Marceline didn't have a lot of happiness growing up, she was closer to being human than she was herself and went through several dark times in her life.

Marcy stops and glares at her, she doesn't want to admit it to herself, but she knows PB is right. After Simon left her alone, her life went from bad to worse. There were decades that she wanted nothing more than to lay down and die. To end all the pain, hurt and suffering. There had been several times that she almost succeeded. Her choices in life often left a feeling of shame, but now all she felt was guilt.

She should have seen the changes in Finn, should have spent more time with the kid, instead of brushing him off like she sometimes did. Even if someone pushed him to these events, she could have stopped things long before they got this far.

"Do you think Jake will understand?" She finally asks, wondering herself. PB sighs, shaking her head also sharing the same concern. She doesn't know if Jake will notice or even care, if he does, maybe for once he'll rely on others to do what needs to be done. After all, they all want Finn to get through this.

PB walks over to the in suite desk and sits down. As much as she is trying to hold everything in, to keep her emotions out of the mix and use her intelligence to help Finn, it was slowly tearing her down inside. Marcy watches the candy woman, their friendship over the centuries have given them a rare thing, a chance to share things. Things that most of the other beings in the land of Ooo could only guess at or understand. If anyone else implied that Marcy may share an understanding with Finn's current behavior, they probably wouldn't be standing, let alone breathing.

"So, what are we gonna do, Bonniebel? If we need proof, where would we start?" Marcy prods her. PB was super bomb when it came to this type of stuff, normally she would be going on a mile a minute about every little possible thing they should be doing, but she's just sitting there silent. _This is going to change more than just Finn, we all are gonna be different, for better or worse._

"The treehouse, that's where we start. Finn spends the most time there when he's not off on some adventure or hanging with us." PB looks toward the vampire, slowly regaining her momentum. Rising with a sigh, she starts the mental check list of things she wants to bring with them. _Wait, she said we, right?_

"You don't have to come Marceline, I don't want…." Marcy waves at her, shaking her head.

"Listen PB, you don't want to go there alone. Some things shouldn't be tackled alone, this is one of them. Plus, since I've already been there once I can state that something just feels wrong in the place." PB's face lit up.

"Wrong? How wrong? Like atmosphere pressure, EMF or…." Marcy shutters slightly, remembering the feeling she got entering the place. If felt off, wrong, corrupted… It felt worse than spending the week with her dad in the Nightosphere, watching him judge souls. Just wrong, but worse.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling it could be part of what is going on. Something is causing this, something bad. If Flame Princess is behind this, I'd have to think it's corrupted her as well." That was a thought that crossed PB's mind. If FP had done this, then perhaps something was effecting her as well. It could have drove her to do this to Finn. _Glob it, I should stop thinking she has done it, we have no proof, just my theory._

"I just honestly hope the Lich doesn't have a hand in this, it feels right up his alley, so to speak." Marcy stretches, cracking various joints "Whatever, come on. Sitting here gabbing ain't get us answers. When do we leave?" The vampire is itching to do something, anything but stand here thinking about what if's and what could be's. _Answers were out there, it was high Grobbin' damn time we found them._

"Let me change, grab some stuff and I'll meet you downstairs in 15. Sound good?" PB was already moving, she had lots to do and little time to waste. Marceline nods and floats out behind PB, leaving the room empty.


	9. Chapter 9 - Misdirection

Chapter 9 – Misdirection

Flame Princess was angry, plain and simple. The fiery monarch was pacing in front of her rocky throne, her flames up, at time flaring high enough to lick the ceiling. Her guards had returned empty handed. They had found the dungeon, but it had already been breached, cleaned of its treasures, including the dreaded Whispering Blade. She had dismissed them before venting, but now she was fuming. Pacing the throne room, even her father in his glass prison kept his normal jibs to himself. She had been hoping desperately they would have returned with it, sparing her the trouble of dealing with the Candy Kingdom and it's ruler, Princess Bubblegum.

"Damn it! Argh!" She swings out, aiming a fiery globe at a rock outcropping, melting the rock to slag. Her flames rose higher and her features disappear. Cinnamon Bun, the only one willing to remain around her while she was in such a mood, stands off to the side, watching her have her fit. His fire wolf, Jake, looks up from its nap at the venting woman, whining softly. CB pats the wolf on the head, calming the beast. He understands why she would be upset at the blade being missing, but to be so worked up over having to call Princess Bubblegum, makes him worry. Something else was bothering her.

"Princess, why are you so upset about calling Bubblegum?" She spins on him, but can only see that his kind face watching her. They both know Bubblegum isn't what she seems, isn't the altruistic ruler she portrays. After months of thinking on the subject, FP had come to the realization, that as ruler, she was trying to the best for her people. Different people required different methods. Her violent unstable people needed someone to show them the truth of the world around them, to make them understand that they could rely on their ruler and not fear them. That everything wasn't hate filled and selfish, but could be understanding and kind.

The Candy Kingdom, on the other hand, was totally different. Almost completely pacifist, they couldn't care about the truth as long as they were safe, happy and serine. Bubblegum did everything she could to protect her subjects with the same vigor as she did, just differently. For the candy people, lying about things they couldn't or wouldn't understand seemed to work. Although protecting them with ignorance was something she didn't understand, it worked, very well. The Candy Kingdom had been around a long time, even before many of the other kingdoms, including hers.

_Plus being as old as she was, it gave her an advantage of understanding how others behave_. _She's probably seen it all before. I wonder if I'll ever get like that, _FP shivers slightly.

"We both know how Bubblegum is, CB, what I don't know is how she'll react to hearing about a "missing" artifact that even scares the Fire Kingdom." CB tilts his head to the side, thinking. If this blade is as bad as she says, then all of Ooo could be in deep do-do unless it's found. Bubblegum would jump at the chance to remove a potential threat to Ooo, even if it meant helping the Fire Kingdom.

"But, she could help, right? Maybe figure out where it went or who took it?" FP smiles, since coming to the Fire Kingdom, he's seemed to change for the better. She remembers the time he took her to meet his first dog, Jake, back at his house. When he tried to serve her tea, he knocked into the table and broke his leg. He had said his body was soft, she heated his leg up and it repaired him. As he spent more time in the heat of the Fire Kingdom, maybe he was hardening up, becoming wiser. Didn't matter, she liked having CB around, he was honest, loyal and kind.

"She probably can, I just wish I didn't have too." _Because I know she's going to want Finn to help, that's what I dread the most._ She sighs, forcing herself to calm down and lower her temperature. She would need all of her strength to keep her composure when she places the call. After a few minutes, she feels more in control, her flames visibly lower. She smiles at CB, who returns the gesture and walks off to get the crystal pendant needed to place the call. For better or worse, it needs to be done.

* * *

Peppermint Butler hears the chime again, still rushing to the conference room. Being a lot shorter made the run between sections of the castle annoying at times, but for the most part he's grown used to it. This time, it was doubly annoying. The Princess had left several hours ago, leaving orders to only contact her if Finn woke. Whoever was placing this call was using a very special system Princess Bubblegum had set up years ago. A special network that interconnected the various kingdoms all across Ooo and was to be used in dire times. It was a direct line to the Candy Kingdom or any other Kingdom connected in the grid.

Pep Butler finally reaches the room, a large oval space with several overhead video screens and a large twelve chair table below. One of the monitors was flashing "INCOMING", the monitor has a small placard beneath that simply read FIRE KINGDOM.

"Oh Grob it." Pep Butler mutters, heading over to the control panel and starting up the machinery to accept the call. Although not directly informed on PB's suspicion of Flame Princess's involvement in the current events relating to Finn, he found out more than enough through the castle scuttlebutt. In some ways, if she was responsible for Finn's mental collapse, he was impressed. It was a delightfully wicked turn of events, he wondered how it was accomplished. In other ways, he was totally disgusted in her behavior. She indirectly caused Prince Bubblegum pain, which was one of the things that he disagreed with completely. He may be several things, but he was always loyal to his Princess, to the Death if it needed to be.

He hit the last few buttons and the viewscreen came to life, showing the fiery face of Flame Princess. Other than her dress was replaced with a set of armor, she looks the same as the last time he had seen her, but calm and in control. _Wonder if she's taken acting lessons?_

"Peppermint Butler, is that you?"

"Ah, yes your highness. How may I help you?" He bows, smiling up at her. She watches the little candy man, Finn had once told her that he was odd, like dark creepy odd, but that Bubblegum put her full faith in her candy servant._ But why would he be answering instead of her?_

"Where is Princess Bubblegum, I need to discuss something of grave importance with her." The candy man stares at her, his one eyebrow arching. _What was that little sugary fool up to?_

"A thousand apologies, my lady, but Princess Bubblegum isn't here at the moment. She is away from the castle at this time." FP lets out a sigh of disgust, bad enough she had to try and get PB's help, now she's not even around to get the help from. She rests her head against her palm, trying to figure out what else she could do. She looks back at the candy servant.

"Is there any way to get in touch with her?" Pep Butler shakes his head a resounding no. The Princess only said to contact her if Finn wakes up, even though he's curious about what FP may need to talk with PB about, he wasn't going to go against his lady's word.

"Unfortunately no. Nor," he continues before she can ask, "Do I know when she is due to return. As soon as she either contacts me or returns, I will let her know you called, your Highness." He bows, trying to be convincing, smoothing things as he could, hoping she would believe him. She watches the candy man for a few more seconds. Either he was lying or not, but it didn't look like she was going to talk with Bubblegum at this time.

"Fine, but please, have her contact me at her soonest." Pep Butler nods and kills the viewscreen, his face dropping the false smile. She honestly looked worried about something, but depending on what Bubblegum may find, it could all be a ruse.

* * *

Flame Princess held the intercom gem, a small green crystal, twisting it slowly in her hand. It glints with the light of her fire, almost mesmerizingly. Suddenly she shakes herself, closing her hand around the gem. This was worrying, where was Bubblegum and why did she have a feeling that candy butler wasn't telling her the truth.

"So, FP, what are you going to do?" CB asks, patiently waiting for her move. That's the big question, she ponders. She could wait till Bubblegum calls her back, but who knows when that could happen. She thought about calling Finn, but that would be super awkward. Plus, her fears where stopping her from making that call. _What if Finn found that blade?_

Standing, she puts the gem back in its flame proof box and turns to CB. _What should I do?_

"I don't know, CB." CB's firewolf, Jake, pads over to her and nuzzles her leg, whining softly. She reaches down and scratches that spot between his ears, the one that always made him drool with happiness. CB watches his friends, they were happy, but it was going to be short lived. This blade business was bad business, it needs to be taken care of soon.

"Maybe we should go to the Candy Kingdom?" He offers. The fiery girl before him glances up at him, still scratching Jake's head. That was an option, but not one she wanted to fall back on, not yet. If they went, it would leave her kingdom without her support and protection. She doesn't trust her father to not plan something as soon as she left the boarders.

"I've thought about that CB, but I don't dare leave, not yet. The people are only just beginning to accept that they can look to me for help. I fear leaving may inspire my father to try something in our absence." CB nods, Flame King would most likely try something, although from inside his glass prison, it wouldn't be easy.

Feeling trapped, FP stands, Jake whining because with the loss of his scratcher. She would wait for now, she didn't want to leave unless she had to. _So how come I feel that I'm already too late_. New to a lot of emotions, this feeling of dread and unease was confusing. She didn't like it one bit, but for now nothing could done to fix things.


	10. Chapter 10 - BMO's Tale

**((And now for something completely different… Needed a little "smile" time... let's see how long it lasts :} PS: This is a LONG chapter, the next one is worse! LOL! Enjoy.))**

* * *

Chapter 10 – BMO's Tale

CHARGING COMPLETE _ BATTERY 100% _ DISCONNECT CHARGER

BMO woke up, her charging cycle was finally finished and once again she was free to run. Standing, she unplugs herself, winds up her cord and stashes it away. She looks around the loft and realizes that no one was upstairs but herself.

"Hello?" She walks toward to ladder down, peering over the edge. It was quiet in the house, _where did everyone go?_ Then she hears typing from below. _Ah, someone is still here._ Slowly working her way down the ladder, she spots someone in the gloom. One of Jake and Lady's kids, T.V, was sitting at a desk, typing away at a computer. She runs over to the Rainicorn/dog pup, who ignores her, engrossed in whatever he was doing. She waves her arms around, but then spies his tail poking out the edge of the chair. She jumps up and yanks hard on his tail. T.V. starts, pushing back away from the desk, knocking over BMO.

"Ooofff." T.V. looks down at the little computer.

"Oh hey, sorry. Didn't see ya. You shouldn't grab my tail, that hurts, man." BMO, rising to her feet nods. LOG – DON'T PULL T.V.'s TAIL.

"Sorry T.V. Where is everyone?" T.V shrugs, turning back to the computer.

"When I got here, everybody was gone. Figured they be back when they are ready." BMO glowers at the Rainicorn/dog, he was way too laid back, even worse than his father, Jake.

"Did they leave a note?" BMO asks, hoping. T. V. shakes his head, eyes never leaving the monitor. So much for his help. BMO turns and scans the rest of the house. Jake's bag was still in the corner, so there was that. Musing to herself, she starts toward the door.

"Maybe he went home? Jake sounded worried about Finn, perhaps he went left to check on him." Mind made up, BMO sidetracks to the kitchen. There she kicks over the trashcan, crawling inside. Seconds later she emerges holding an empty cardboard tube, giving it a few test swings. Satisfied with her find, she heads toward the door. Leaping up, she grabs the doorknob. Swinging herself around, she manages to pop open the door, drops to the ground and exits.

The world before the adventurer was dangerous and wild. In order to get to her lair, many dangers would need to be tackled, monsters slain and treasures found. BMO, now clad in armor and holding up her trusty sword, heads forth into the wilds. In reality, BMO holds up her cardboard tube and marches off down the path, making her way back to the treehouse, softly humming.

A few hours later, the mighty BMO encounters her first enemy. A large greenish scaled beast rises up in front of the heroine, breathing fire into the sky. With an earth shattering roar, the mighty beast launches itself at BMO. BMO stands her ground, waiting till the last minute to dive to the side, slashing upward with her sword. The first blow was glancing, serving to only annoy the beast further. It rears back up, squaring off against BMO. Back and forth they parry, striking each other with sword and tooth, neither scoring the killing blow. Suddenly BMO spots a weakness in the beast's scaly hide, a section where several scales are missing. Raising her sword, screaming a hearty battle cry, BMO dashes straight at the beast. The monster opens its month, thinking that it can merely just snap up the foolish warrior, but BMO rolls forward, dipping under the snapping jaws. Leaping to her feet, she thrusts up into the scale-free section, plunging her sword deep within the monster. With one last roar, it collapses, defeated. She stands victorious.

In reality, a frog has hopped onto the path BMO was walking down. Raising her cardboard tube, she dances around the creature, lightly tapping it with the tube. After a minute or two of dancing, the frog, clearly confused and tired of this strange creature hitting it, hops over BMO's head back into the trees. BMO dances around, shouting happily and celebrating her conquest. After her dance, she turns back down the path and continues on.

* * *

Suddenly before the heroine, a large bridge looms. The boards are rotting and half are missing. From beneath the darkness, several sets of red eyes watch her. Slowly, she starts to cross, but as she gets half way across, a three-headed troll pulls itself up from the darkness below to confront the warrior. She pulls her trusty sword and rushes the monster, who sidesteps her easily. It's weight shakes the bridge, a few of the worse planks break free and plunge into the stormy waters below. BMO spins mid-step, swinging her sword low, clipping the troll on the knees. It screams out in rage and pain, swiping at the woman. It misses and BMO lowers her blade, shoulder tackling the beast. It topples, balance off and crashes thru the planks, falling screaming into the water. BMO quickly leaps aside and races across the collapsing bridge. On the far side, she turns back toward the ruin of the bridge, once again glad the challenge over.

Once again, in reality BMO came across a normal looking stone bridge, spanning a barely moving trickle of water that was flowing thru the dried up streambed. She hops across the stone work, swinging her tube sword, taking time to avoid touching any cracks. Finally she makes one final long jump and lands safely the dirt path. She does a cute little dance, shaking her robotic booty. Picking up her humming, she wanders on.

* * *

The skies darken, winds rise and whip the surrounding trees into a furor, a mother of all storms was coming. As much as the fearless warrior wants to continue on, nature demands she seek shelter. She spies a dark cave and runs toward to it as the skies open. Shaking off inside, she notices that the floor is littered with old bones and scraps of fur. From the depth of the cave, a growl issues forth. Pulling her sword, BMO waits for whatever foul beast may emerge, hoping that it wasn't too hungry.

From the darkness, four beasts emerge, some sort of four-legged creatures, with long tails and tusks. They spread out, eyeing the intruder within their home. Suddenly one of the monsters lunges forward, swiping at the heroine, who jumps back just in time. The other three beasts, snarling, all leap forward. BMO dives to the side, slashing at the closest beast, knocking it out. The other two land, missing their prey and the fourth one joins them. They stand, lashing their tails, leering at the warrior. Suddenly a loud peal of thunder with lightning crashes down outside, the beasts start, cowering. Finally the injured one regains its feet, then as a group they turn and race out into the storm. BMO sighs, collapsing down. Sometimes not fighting was better than to struggle against greater numbers.

BATTERY LEVEL 50%

BMO laughs, it's power alarm broke the spell and BMO smiles. She actually found a hole in a tree, chasing out several squirrels that had been sleeping there. They ran outside, the last one stood there chattering at her in its language for several second before joining its friends. BMO stares out the opening, watching the rain. Not knowing how long the shower could last, she sets an alarm and goes into POWER SAVING MODE to wait out the storm.

Several hours later, her alarm buzzes, waking her to the weak sun shining outside. Glad it's over, BMO crawls out and starts again toward the treehouse. Behind her, one of the squirrels scurries over and pokes his head in. Standing up, he beckons to the others and they pile back into the hole, muttering under their squirrel breaths.

* * *

The heroine watches the hideous imp, hovering above the group of pixies, cackling evilly. The imp has the pixies gathered in a small jar, which it picks up and clips to a long stick. The pixies cry and wail, trapped, doomed to whatever evil deeds the imp has planned for them. BMO can't let this injustice go on. She sneaks after the imp, keeping to the shadows as it heads toward its lair. Suddenly, it spins and points a wicked claw at BMO, launching a lightning bolt at her. BMO dashes forward, drawing her sword to deflect the lightning. The imp cackles, flying higher beyond the reach of the foolish heroine. BMO can't reach the foe, but spies a damaged branch in the trees near the creep. Taking aim, she fires her sword at the monster, who simply floats aside. But as she wasn't aiming for him, the sword continues on to cut thru the wood of the branch, sending it crashing down on the head of the imp. Unconscious and pinned underneath the large chunk of wood, she is free to help the pixies. She opens the jar and they fly out, surrounding her, squeaking in their high pitched voices. BMO can't understand them, but they all fly up as a group to her sword, sticking out of the tree. They draw their wands and using magic, they extract her blade and float it back to her. She bows, thankful for her sword as they wave goodbye.

The flock of butterflies drift off, completely unfazed as the little robot hops and waves her cardboard sword in the air. This quest was becoming majorly epic in nature, she couldn't wait to get home and tell her tale to Finn and Jake. Tucking her sword underneath one arm, she starts off again, picking up her tune. She needs an ballad to accompany her battles, as all good stories work better with music tracks.

Finally rising over the last of the hills, the golden place of the heroine greets her weary soul. Many battles have been fought, monsters slain, innocents saved and she looks forward to rest. The brave warrior approaches her home... and the world snaps back to reality as BMO finds herself standing at the treehouse door, which was open.

WARNING - BATTERY LEVEL 25% - RECHARGE OR REPLACE SOON

BMO stares into the lowest level of the treehouse, the treasure room. The guys rarely ever left this door open, afraid of random creatures creeping in or people stealing their hard won treasure.

"Something is wrong." BMO's face flashes a "!?" as she slowly walks inside. The place was quiet, too quiet. The world fades to black and white, BMO is now dressed in duster and bowler hat. She creeps over to an object lying in the middle of the floor. It was Finn's backpack, split open, coins scattered around.

"This is not a good sign. Finn wouldn't leave this lying here." She sneaks over to the ladder and slowly works her way up. On the main floor, she hops out into the living room, holding the cardboard tube, now bent in half, in her little hands like a pistol. She scans the room, noticing that no one was up here, but then spots a piece of paper on the floor. Tip-toeing over to the paper, she nudges it with her foot, then reads the note.

"This is the note Jake and I left for Finn." She looks up the table where Jake had originally placed it. It was possible that a draft could have knocked it to the floor. It was more probable that it was discarded by who ever had read it. Tipping her non-existent hat back, BMO wonders what she should do. Jake was clearly not here, but what about Finn? Had something had happened here, did it involve the guys? Was anyone here?

"Come on BMO, you need to check the place out to make sure no one is here." The words are more to convince herself to do something, as if it was possible for the little robot to have fear, this was pretty close to it. Holding her make believe gun up at the ready, she sneaks forward.

Slowly, the little robot makes her way thru the treehouse. Although she is looking around, she has spent more time darting from shadow to shadow then actively searching. In one hall she does notice that a table has been knocked over, but she also knows that during rough storms, when the tree starts shaking violently, it tended to topple that particular table.

WARNING BATTERY LEVEL 15% - RECHARGE OR REPLACE SOON

"Oh no, time for BMO to get fresh Batteries." She sings, running to the ladder up to Finn and Jake's bedroom. She often stored extra batteries under Finn's bed. Tossing her cardboard tube aside, she starts up the ladder. After several minutes of climbing, she pulls herself up and into the room. Walking forward a few steps, she halts suddenly. The room before her was trashed, more than the normal amount. Littering the floor was broken glass, along with something else. Paint? Cautiously she draws nearer, spotting a heap of blue fabric on the floor. She picks up the edge of the discarded cloth, seeing that it's Finn's shirt, but her attention is drawn to the "paint" stains. They didn't look right. Her memory banks whir in high gear, dumping information on their possible composition and with a sense of dread, she knows what they are.

"OMG, that is blood!" BMO looks around, realizing how much of the material was splattered around. Whatever happened here, wasn't good. Someone was hurt badly. She turns, stumbling, as her foot trips over something within the folds of Finn's shirt. Picking herself up, she approaches the shirt, pulling at the fabric and uncovering a long green object. Finn's cursed Grass sword lays tangled in the shirt.

"What is this doing here? Finn said this couldn't come off!" She starts to process all the information she has gathered so far, trying to draw some conclusion about what may have happened when her internal alarm goes off.

WARNING _ LOW BATTERY - 5%_WARNING

"Epp!" A surprised emoticon flashes across her screen as she scrambles to get to the hidden battery stash. She dives under the bed, to appear a few seconds later, two batteries in her hands. She lines them up on the floor, opens her battery door and pops out the old set. Her screen blanks out and she falls back onto the aligned batteries, the momentum causing them to slam into the battery compartment. After a few seconds of stillness, her screen lightens and she sits up.

What to do? Where is everyone? What has happened? BMO sits there, processing. Finally she hops up, running over to Finn's blade. Although it is oversized for her, she carefully picks it up and makes for the stairs. Dragging the sword with her, she makes her way down the treehouse, finally stopping in the treasure room. Once there she looks around, spotting an area where she can hide both herself and the sword. She runs over, shoves the sword in the space, then runs over to Finn's bag. Grabbing a strap, she drags it across the floor and uses it hide underneath. Someone was bound to turn up, looking for either of the guys. Hopefully they would be able to help as she realizes there was nothing she could do. Rocking gently under the bag, she softly hums to herself, hoping her wait wouldn't be too long.


	11. Chapter 11 - See The Light

**((Ok, hang on this is long - hope you enjoy, things are finally coming together))**

* * *

Chapter 11 - See the Light

His heart hurt, not with any physical pain, but the dull ache of understanding. Bubblegum had used him, for years, preying on his emotions toward her. _Why play such games? Even if you couldn't accept my love PB, why use it against me? Betray me?_ Now he understands the sad truth of why she always wanted him around, but didn't want HIM. Why, when he fell in love with FP...just the thought of her made him ache. _Did she lie then too?_ Masking the truth or was she just doing what she had to in order to protect her people.

Her precious candy citizens.

_Did I really ever love her?_

_it matters... not..._

_she will not... give you want you want..._

He couldn't tell if he was crying or not, it hurt so bad he wanted nothing more than make it stop. To curl up tight, block out everything and fade away. Be left alone in his misery.

For the longest time, the whispering stops, leaving him alone in the silence with his ache and anguish. Just when he thought whatever had been talking was gone... he felt the presence return. The sense of wrongness washes back over him, settling in his stomach.

_they... they all... have used you..._

_What? _No, I can take Bubblegum lying, but not Jake... he loves me. _We are blood, kin, brothers!_

_does he..._.

_all the years... he stood by... watching..._

_letting you take the lead..._

_take the brunt..._

_take the worst..._

NO, Jake always stood by my side. He...

helped you... you...

Pain flares again, the pressure in his skull returning double-fold. Pictures swirl and morph into scenes...Himself as a giant foot and Jake, trying his best to convince him that it was a good idea to stay that way. _NO_... Again, himself encased in crystal as Jake pretends to attack the Crystal Guardian, failing and letting him get changed to crystal... _No, he doesn't do these things on purpose..._

_does he... he... he..._

_calls you brother... while abandoning you..._

_offers you help..._

_but leads you... astray..._

Jake sitting at the table in the treehouse, eating like normal, but he watches himself come up to him and describe the strange dream he just had. The one inspired by the fight between Ice King and Flame Princess. The one that he killed off his relationship with her. Jake had told him he needed to make them fight again, to finish that dream... the fight that ended his happiness.

He had always thought that it was his fault, he was the one that Grobbed up, lied to FP, but now...

_Did Jake do that on purpose? Why, why would he do that to me?_

A another swirl of color, rolling across his mind like the front of a storm. It forms a picture of Jake and Lady, coiled together with their five kids... all happy, joyful and content.

_you ... where in the way..._

More pain, more visions...Jake's strange attempt to get Lady and himself to hangout, fighting the Sea Knights, his recruitment of Tiffany...

_he choose..._

Jake moving out, to be with Lady and the kids. Although he did eventually return, he still spent more time with them instead of with him. Always too busy to hang with his best buddy, no time for Finn...

_you were... in the way..._

_NO... Jake wouldn't... couldn't... he, I_... The Pain returns, forcing a scream from him from its intensity. Everything hurts, his guts feel like something is eating them from inside, his skull about to burst from the pressure. _WHY are these things happening to me!_

_to... make... you... see the light..._

The pain increases, ripping another scream from him. _Just make it stop, anything... make it stop..._

_make... you... see... our... light..._

* * *

As the sun paints the sky in reds and pinks, dipping toward the horizon, two figures land before the treehouse. Marceline floats down, shielding herself from the last of the daylight with her large umbrella. PB dismounts from her Marrow, the large bird crying out once before taking flight. Marceline watches PB pull out a strange box with a lead attached to it from her pack. PB turns toward the door and stops, waving to the house.

"The door's open?" Marcy floats forward, pushing the door the rest of the way open. Beyond was the normal vista of the treasure room.

"Yeah, it was like this the last time..." She drifts in, noticing immediately, that Finn's bag is missing from the floor. She drops to her feet, closing the umbrella and looks around. Behind the vampire, PB closes the door, cutting off the only source of light. PB pulls out a flashlight, shining it up as she clicks it on.

"Much better, but Marcy..." The vampire raises her hand to silence her, still scanning the room. Then she spies the green backpack, pulled off to one corner. She points to the bag, hoping PB will stay quiet. Lifting up, she floats over to the bag but halts when it starts to move. PB shines the light at the corner as Marcy transforms into her half-bat form, growing large enough so her bat wings brush the ceiling. She nudges the bag with a clawed foot, which causes more movement.

"Alright, whoever you are, this is your ONE chance to come out." She leaves the threat open-ended, letting them use their imagination to fill in the rest. More movement then the bag flops forward, the light catching BMO's screen reflectively.

"BMO?" PB shines the light away from the little robot. Once the light is out of her sensors, she recognizes the two women, running up and bear hugging PB leg.

"I am so glad someone finally showed up." Marceline returns to her normal form, reaching down to grab the little robot, freeing PB's leg.

"Have long have you been here, BMO?" She asks, worried about what the machine may have seen. _If she was here when Finn… _BMO climbs out of the vampire's grasp, up her arm to sit on her shoulder.

"I've only been here a few hours. I was at Lady's place. I woke up from my charging cycle and everyone was gone. So I came home." The little robot frowns, "But something bad happened here. I found blood upstairs. I got scared and came back down here to hide." PB frowns, turning on the device in the other hand. A faint hum fills the room as the machine starts to take a multitude of readings.

"Yeah, your right BMO, something bad has happened." Marcy pats the machine's knee, "But your safe with us, got it." The little robot nods, a big smile across her screen. PB studies the device she's holding, all the readings were coming back within the normal range, so she clicks if off. Kneeling down beside Finn's bag, she pulls it open. It wasn't ripped, but open and slightly damp.

"This was just lying on the floor?" She asks Marcy, not bothering to look up. She holds up the device, pressing a button. A bright flash lights up the space as small white photo ejects from the side.

"Whoa, warn people before you do that, PB." Marcy blinks, the light leaving dark spots in her vision. She rubs her eyes as she continues, "Anyways, to answer your question, yes. Just lying in the floor, it's wet because of the door." PB nods, standing, putting the photo in her pocket.

"I'm not getting any strange readings, so let's move upstairs." Marcy shrugs, drifting toward the ladder, PB at her heels. BMO clings to Marcy as she floats up the ladder, landing softly in the living area. It was dark inside, still quiet. That feeling of unease is back, Marcy shivers slightly, feeling BMO grasp her shoulder tighter. _I hope this place doesn't stay like this, it was always so comforting._ When PB joins them, she also feels uneasy, like something was watching them. She looks around, noticing the treehouse looks more worn down than normal, almost unlived in. She pulls out her machine, clicking the switch so the soft hum once again issues forth. A light shines on the front for a second, then goes out. PB watches the device, but the anomaly doesn't repeat.

Slowly, she walks further into the space, on edge. This place never felt like this before, it was always warm and welcoming. Now, it feels abandoned, almost desolate. The feeling that she was being watched is growing stronger, but her device continues, no additional alarms triggering.

"Marcy, was it this…" Marcy nods, drifting over to join the candy woman.

"Creepy? Feels like something is here, watching. Yes, " She looks around the darkness, "it felt worse last time." The women stand there in silence, listening for any sounds, anything that might provide a reason why the place feels like it does. After several minutes, PB wanders over to the kitchen section, putting away her machine and pulling out her flashlight. Her light shines across the floor, up to the sink and across the stove.

"BMO, where do they keep the calendar?" BMO hops up, sliding down Marcy's back. Marcy grabs her before she hits the floor, placing her down. BMO smiles up at her, then runs off into the kitchen. She runs over to one wall, in front of the table, which was covered with several dirty plates. PB shines her light on the wall, where the calendar normally hangs. The wall is empty, there's a lighter section on the wall marking where something once hung there. BMO tilts her body, then runs under the table. She emerges dragging a dusty large sheaf of papers, offering it up to PB.

PB takes the papers, stuffing the light under an arm and flipping over the paper to recognize it as the calendar. It was dusty, dirty and torn at the top where the nail hung it on the wall. She shuffles through the pages until she reaches the right one, folding the others behind. Sure enough, on the day of Finn's birthday, there was a dark smudge.

"Well that proves my theory, someone has erased Jake's note." PB holds out the calendar to Marcy. "Flip it around." She transfer her light to her teeth, pulling out her device, pointing it at the calendar as Marcy shuts her eyes. _No need to get blinded again_, she thinks as the light flashes, still wincing as the bright light goes off.

"Pictures? Really Bonnie?" PB nods, tucking the photo into her pocket with the earlier one.

"Evidence. It will show that someone has tampered with the calendar. In case we need it." Marcy has to agree, it might prove helpful.

"But we still don't know who did it, or even when." Marcy looks closer at the calendar. It was very dusty, it must have been lying on the floor for some time. _That means, who ever changed the note did it awhile ago._

"So now where?" PB asks. Other than the odd feeling, nothing else seems out of the normal. Marcy looks over at the ladder heading up, she doesn't want to go back up. I can already remember every detail, it will never leave. PB will want to see those areas as well, _that's why I came, so she doesn't have to tackle this alone_.

"Hey, BMO?" A though occurs to her, she might as well do something constructive if they had to go. The little robot scurries over to her, she had been digging around in a cupboard. "Do they own a broom?"

"Broom? I don't think so." BMO replies, confused at her question. Figures, Marcy muses, considering the state they let this house get into at times.

"Never mind. Come on PB, let's get this over with." PB looks up at the back of Marcy. BMO looks at her then to Marcy, not wanting to be left alone. She hustles over to the vampire, tugging at her pant leg. Marcy feeling the tug and drifts down. W_ell can't leave her alone, I promised she would be safe with us_. As soon as she's in reach, the little robot crawls back up to her spot on the vampire's shoulder. They turn, two sets of sad eyes waiting for PB.

* * *

Standing before the ladder up to the bedroom, Marcy steadies herself. The first time was bad, how come this time it feels even worse. _It's because I know what caused it_, she answers herself. She could still smell the dried blood, but it's the knowledge of what was up there that made her hesitant. PB comes up beside her, a fresh picture in the hand, waving it back in forth. She had seen the overturned table and wanted to take a picture before she got sidetracked. There weren't many clues, so she wants to make sure they got everything. Finn's very life could be at stake.

Marcy stares up the ladder, drawing a final breath.

"Ready PB?" The candy woman nods, tucking her machine away so her hands are free to climb. BMO looks at her, trying to decide if she wants to go back up or wait here, alone. Coming a decision, the little robot hops off Marcy's shoulder, slides down her back to land on the floor. After picking herself up, she walks over to the opposite wall, sitting down. PB watches BMO, wondering what was wrong.

"BMO, are you alright?" The little robot has a sad face on her screen, shaking her head no.

"I don't want to go back up there." PB's glances at Marceline. The vampire also looks sad, determined, but sad. She turns toward the ladder, looking up and swallows. C_ould it be that bad?_ Steadying herself, she nods at Marcy, who floats up the ladder.

PB's head clears the floor, her first glance of the room didn't spot anything out of the normal, but it was dark. She had put away her flashlight to climb. Marcy reaches over and offers her a hand, helping her up. PB digs out the flashlight, clicking it on and turning it toward the room. Almost immediately, she freezes, her eyes growing wide. The room was wrecked, glass and wood scattered across the floor. But what makes her heart skip a beat was the dark red stains covering everything.

Feeling nauseous, she swallows and takes a few deep breathes. She needs to calm her nerves, so she can think logically. Marceline had already explained what was up here, but the sight was harsher than she expected. Still feeling woozy, she wobbles slightly, causing Marcy to grab her arm. She smiles at the vampire, glad she was here, even if this was hard for her. She was right, this is not something one wants to see alone. _How much of this will stay with her_, she thinks watching the vampire stand there, trying to avoid looking around.

"Thanks, I'm ok now." Marcy merely nods, releasing her. She pulls out her machine and scans the room, everything was normal. Carefully she steps through the glass, making her way to several white pieces of paper. Kneeling, she spots a face on one, Marceline's.

"These are Finn's friendship photos." She plucks the picture out of the mess, _why would Finn destroy these? _She stands, placing the photo on the dresser instead of back on the floor. She spots several other photos, one of them ripped in half. As she reaches down to pick it up, her machine makes a faint "bing" noise and a blue light blinks. She stares at the device for a second, her brain fighting her to register the material scattered across the mess was blood, the blue light signaling that it was in fact Finn's. _Why Finn, why did you do this?_ Closing her eyes, she stands there, beginning to shake. _Finn, you could have come to talk to me, not turn to this_. She can't understand what drove him to this, this was not something just forgetting his birthday should have caused. This was something that had been building for a long time. S_omething one of us should have seen_. _Oh Finn, I'm so sorry we let you down. I let you down._

Marceline watches Bubblegum, knowing that this was effecting her as badly as it was herself. Bubblegum felt responsible for many things, she often took it upon herself to make sure Finn was alright. _We all let him down. What a pathetic lots of friends we are._ A tear escapes, rolling down her cheek.

"Bonnie, please take your picture and let's get out of here. I….." Her voice fails her, she feels a second tear escape. PB opens her eyes, seeing the vampire's tears. She holds up the machine in her hand and snaps the photo, the flash illuminating the room. With the extra light, she spots a piece of fabric on the floor, blue in color. Finn's shirt, has to be. She picks it up, noticing that there was no blood on it, so he must have shed it before turning on himself.

Marcy turns, silently, floating down the ladder to the level below. Her heart can't take anymore. At the bottom, BMO jumps up and runs to her, hugging her ankle. Her little screen has a sad face with tears on it. She kneels down to pick up the little robot, hugging her to her chest, letting her tears flow. Above, PB finishes up her pictures, not noticing Marceline's exit. Although taking the pictures are painful, they could be helpful, catching some detail that may prove important. Putting the machine and pictures away, she heads back down.

At the bottom, she finds Marcy hugging BMO, both of them crying. Her heart grieves with them, but there was one more place she wants to see. She would take this alone. Marcy has had enough, she knows the vampire plays tough, but when it came to Finn, she definitely has a weakness toward the kid. Stepping softly, she works her way down the hall. She had seen more stains on the floor, leading the way. Marcy had told her where she found Finn, PB knew the layout of the treehouse well enough to find it.

After a short walk, she comes upon another open door, leading to a walkway and platform. Crossing the path, she spots the cut rope, normally the only way up to the canopy above. Thankfully she came prepared. Putting her pack down, she digs through it until she spots the item she needs. It looks like a harpoon gun, with a knotted rope attached to the projectile. She stands, takes aim and shoots it through the hole above. Yanking on the rope, she starts the climb up.

The room was empty, that much she expected. What she didn't expect was the amount of blood, everywhere. She almost lost her grip when she saw it, but thankfully kept her wits about her to prevent a hasty decent. Struggling up into the canopy, she kneels on the floor, mentally numb. The room almost seemed staged to shock anyone who entered. _This is why they needed so much_, she shutters her stomach turning. With amount of dried blood, the smell was noticeable. She was glad that she came alone, _Marcy doesn't need to see this again_.

"Oh Finn…" She stares blankly at the floor, at the stain roughly in the shape of a person curled on their side. Her eyes burn, she blinks rapidly trying to force the tears back. There would be time later to cry later, when they found out what caused Finn to turn to this. She tears her vision away from the stain, looking around the small space. Marcy had said she knocked a knife from Finn's hand. Pulling out her light, she scans the floor. There was nothing else but the stain and herself, no silver blade.

"Odd…" She crawls over the wall opposite the stain, checking the wall and floor. There was a smear of red, but nothing else. The floorboard were too close to allow anything of size to fall between, there was no gap between the wall and the floor for it fall through either. There was no sign of anyone else being up here, they would have had to fly or bring something to climb.

"So where did the knife go?"

Downstairs, Marcy and BMO are sitting on the sofa in the dark. Marcy felt better, but still numb. _Finn, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that I didn't pay more attention, didn't see the signs, didn't try to help you. I'm so sorry._

"I'll make it up to you kiddo, I promise." She whispers to the silence surrounding her. Above her, soft footsteps remind her that PB is somewhere in the house. _Funny, the candy woman is stronger than the undead_, she smiles at herself. She must have gone to look at the room she found Finn hiding it. BMO snuggles against her side, patting her leg. BMO hadn't seen that last room, thankfully she never went that far. Finally, several minutes later, PB emerges from the gloom. Her normally bright pink skin was pale, her face pinched and drawn. She found the room, there was no way she couldn't have. Odd part, she didn't appear to have anything with her.

"Where's the blade?" She stands, pulling away from BMO's grip. The little robot frowns, but leans back, waiting. PB shakes her head, lifting her hands up.

"I looked everywhere in there, there was no blade," She sees the confusion on Marcy's face, "And no evidence that anyone was in there." On the sofa, BMO sits upright.

"Blade?" She pipes up, hopping off the sofa. The women watch the little robot run off, heading downstairs to the treasure room. Not understanding what she was doing, they follow her down. Stepping off the ladder with her flashlight clenched in teeth, PB turns in time to see BMO go into the corner they had found her hiding. Digging around, tugging on something, it suddenly gives way, sending the little robot tumbling back. She had something long and green in her hands, climbing to her feet she manages to lift it above her head.

"I found Finn's blade up in his bedroom." In her hands was Finn's cursed Grass blade. The very one that he said couldn't be removed.


	12. Chapter 12 - And So The Game Begins

**((Sorry, seems my mind keeps jumping around - wrote the songfic &amp; the end and now, have to backtrack and fill everything between in. Enjoy - Comments?))**

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Chapter 12 - And So the Game Begins

Everything hurt, inside and out. The pressure in his skull had lessened, but still lurked. His chest, guts, bones, even his skin hurt. Everything felt on fire. Curled in a ball, he floats lost in the darkness, hoping it would stop. Then the coldness creeps back, the dread that announced the arrival of his tormentor overtakes the ache inside.

_... you want the games to stop... stop... start?_

Shuttering he tries to make himself smaller, _what have I done to deserve this torture?_

_...nothing... our friend..._

_... we are trying to help... you..._

_make you...see the light... the truth..._

_free you... help you.._.

_By hurting me? By making me suffer, make me think my friends and family have betrayed me? How can this help? _He's still shaking, fear and rage battling within. His mind was split, torn in half along with his heart. One half knew everything was a lie, his friends and family couldn't do any of the things the mysterious voices whisper... the other half believes it fully, understands it, accepts it with a certain finality.

_...help you... our friend..._

_they shouldn't... control you... you_

_use you..._

_betray you..._

He sobs, shaking as rage gains a footing over fear. _Have I been a fool all this time? Have I walked right into their plans, oblivious to anything but the sweet lies they feed him?_

_all...of them... have used you... you..._

_played... games with you_

The pressure increases again, he screams. Colors swirl, dance then form into the face of Marceline. She's smiling at him, but it carries a cruel glint. She's floating around him, joking him and laughing, making him blush and feel worthless. Feel like a child.

_...you're just a toy... a distraction... a game..._

_something... to entertain...her..._

_break up... the boredom..._

_used you... you... to make herself smile..._

All the shame and humiliation that he suffered at her taunts, her jokes and snide remarks. She always came back with the excuse that it was a joke, that she was "messing" with him, but to what end? Did she do it to amuse herself, toy with his emotions because she was bored? Was she really that cruel?

He can't even bring himself to care anymore, it all hurt so much. The truth hurts more than any lie. The truth... that's what she wanted, all she wanted...

Marceline's form melts and swirls, shifting to shades of red and yellow, flickering like flames. The colors slow as Flame Princess's face emerges. Not the sweet kind face he remembers, but hard lined, emotionless and devoid of mirth or humor.

_...she wants the truth... truth..._

_but she... can't handle... her own..._

_NO! It was my fault, I lied to her, I made her fight Ice King, I..._.

_...you told her the truth..._

_... she punished you...you who loved her..._

_cared for her..._

_would do anything... for... her..._

Even through the pain he can see the visions, he can't stop them. The fight that ended his happiness, that broke it heart completely. Her and Ice King, squaring off and fighting, destroying the Ice Kingdom. Of him, having that last dream... the dream that started this horrible path, the Great Cosmic Owl telling him he "blew it"... of facing her down and trying to explain, explain something he himself doesn't understand. He never meant to hurt her, ever. He would have died before...

_...she couldn't... handle...accept... honor... the truth..._

She turns away from him, floating off leaving him standing there, watching her leave... feeling his heart break and whither, like a dying rose.

He sobs, uncontrollably, his heart breaking again. He was stupid, young and foolish. _I should have NEVER listened to Jake!_ He feels something coil around him, constricting him, smothering him. His will to fight is gone, he cares not what happens as long as the pain stops. As long as the hurt goes away.

_...we will help... friend..._

_...awaken..._

The whispers increase in volume, chanting the single word. Thousands of voices, all blending into a maddening chorus, swirling around him.

._..AWAKEN!_

* * *

"NO!" Finn screams, his eyes popping open. He tries to bolt upright, but the restraints do their job, jolting him back to the mattress. His breathing comes fast and hard, like he had been running for his life. The monitor off to the side starts screaming, an alarm going off in response to his sudden and drastic rise in pulse.

Jake, who had fallen asleep in the chair beside Finn's bed starts, flailing and toppling the chair over backwards. Struggling against the chair, he finally extricates himself from it, looking around in confusion. He had sat in the hospital ward all day, watching his brother. As night started to fall, he sent Lady to go eat and get some rest in their room. She wanted him to come with her, but he couldn't leave Finn. "What if he wakes up? I don't want him to wake up alone." She conceded, leaving him to stand vigil over his brother. Time ticked by and he drifted off in a fitful sleep.

"I promise the Ice Cream was..." He sleepily mumbles, confused. As the sound of the alarms of Finn's machine penetrate his sleep addled mind, he snaps fully awake. Turning toward the bed, he notices Finn was lying there, eyes wide open, gasping for air. "Finn?" He stretches over to his side, unsure exactly what to do. Finn was shaking, his hands were clenched white-knuckle tight. He grasps his shoulder and shakes him, hoping this was maybe some type of nightmare.

Consciousness hit Finn like a train. Pain, everywhere. Overwhelming and overpowering, it was all there was. No, that wasn't right, there was something else, a soul numbing ache that left him feeling hallow, empty. Alone. _Where am I?_ _Strange sounds, someone talking?_ He feels something, someone touching him. He focuses on the sound as his eyes refuse to focus on anything. _Calm down, think..._ He has no clue where he is, that by itself alarming... a memory surfaces, voices whisper. Colors, faces, a maddening mix that leaves the room spinning.

He closes his eyes, blocking out the confusing imagines, listening to his heartbeat. If he was in danger, he had to calm down, relax. Breathe. Over the span of several minutes, his breathing slows, his pulse drops back into normal ranges and his shaking stops. Underneath, he can still feel something, he wasn't sure what it was, but it left fear gnawing at his insides.

Jake stands there, nervous, he doesn't know what was wrong. _Should I get the Doctor? Do I dare leave? _He looks at the doors, wondering where he could find Doctor Ice Cream at this time of night. The monitor showing Finn's pulse finally quiets, Finn's heartbeat was slowing down to normal. Finn looks more relaxed, his shaking gone, but his eyes were still closed. _Oh bro, please be alright_.

Finn finally reopens his eyes. He can now focus, but he still has no idea where he was. It was dark, but not pitch black. Trying to move, to sit up, he's stopped by the restraints and falls back. Coming more to his senses, he turns toward the sound on his left. A strange machine with small lights, it has leads going from it to his arm. With some effort, he turns the other way and spots a familiar yellow form.

"Jake?" Jake's face instantly goes from worry to a smile. Stretching up he turns on the light over Finn's bed, allowing view his surroundings to expand. He frowns for a second as recognition dawns on him, he was in the hospital ward at the castle. _How did I get here?_

"How you doing, bro?" Jake releases the breath he had been holding, reaching behind him to pull the chair back up. Situating himself, he reaches out and tries to grab Finn's hand. At his touch, Finn flinches, jerking away from his brother instinctively. Jake freezes, then draws back. "You had all of us worried?"

Finn lays there, looking around, confused. He tries again to lift his hand, this time comprehending that he was tied down, restrained. A dull ache starts in his chest, as memories start to surface. _How did I get here, I remember..._ A flash of lightning, rain... his treehouse, darkened and empty. Something stirs in the back of him mind, like a tendril, searching. Empty aching pain, loneliness. Jake see his frown, the way his eyes drift off in thought.

"Finn, Finn... it's alright. Your safe, bro. Just relax." He watches his brother. He knows he'll remember soon, _Don't freak out on me, please_. Finn blinks, refocusing on Jake. Looking over his doggy brother, he realizes that the pooch has looked better. Dark bags circle his eyes and if he didn't know better, he's swear the dog had been crying. Jake reaches out again, hesitating. Finn lifts up his hand, catching his brother's paw, squeezing it.

"Jake... How'd I get here?" The dog swallows, time to spill the beans. He sighs, wondering how or where to begin. _I'm not sugar coating it, Finn deserves the truth. Hopefully, I can get the same out of him. _He meets his brother's eyes and begins.

"Marceline brought you here." He slumps forward, his voice breaking. "She found you, at home…" He doesn't know how to do this. He looks at Finn's hand holding his, struggling to be gentle, but put the facts forward for Finn. Suddenly it just tumbles out, unstoppable vent of confusion, heartache and guilt.

"I tried calling you. I remembered that, I well…that I forgot you birthday." Finn squeezes his paw hard for a second, but Jake doesn't stop. "You didn't answer, even your special occasion phone. I started spazzing out, ended up calling Marcy. Neither she nor PB had seen you and like they, also forgot. Then I really went freakzoid, Lady had Marcy go look for you."

A memory floods Finn's mind; his bedroom, his pictures of his friends. He had smashed them all, his heart aching from the pain of their forgetfulness. He sees a reflection on the dresser as the lightning lights up the night. His hand grabbing the silver blade… the one thing that had brought him happiness in the last few months. That soothed the emotions he didn't understand, pushed everything back into his vault.

That blade had become his friend. It didn't ask for anything, demand anything, or turn a blind eye. It was just there. There when no one else could bring themselves to be. He turned to it for comfort, as he had, dozens of times before. Never much, but it was just enough to help regain control. But in his emotional breakdown, he went too far…. The pain he felt that night, the emotional suffering fills him, as strong now as it was then. The voices were right… _I mean nothing to any of them…._

Jake watches as Finn close his eyes, opening his hand. This was going south, fast. Think Jake, do something, don't freak out and for Glob's sake, don't let him.

"It's alright Finn, everything's fine. You're fine…"

"Shut up." Jake blinks, the venom in Finn's words silence him.

"Finn, I…" He stutters, taking a step back from the human. He watches him curl his hands into fists, then strain against the restraints. He reaches out toward him, but stops as Finn opens his eyes, glaring.

"SHUT UP!" The words come out as a snarl. "Just go away, leave me alone. At least that's something you good at, dog." All he can feel is anger, rage at Jake. After everything that has happened, listening to him explain things from his point of view just made the voice's seem all the more correct. Jake was blaming him for upsetting him, disturbing his precious time with Lady and the kids.

…_in…his…way…_

Jake stands there, crestfallen and heartbroken. He knew Finn was gonna be upset, messed up in his head, but this was harsh. And what did he mean?

"Finn, bro… you don't mean.." He asks, hoping maybe he was just misunderstanding him, but suddenly Finn lunges, forcing himself up. The restraints hold, but they twist his arms painfully backwards. Thrashing, he tries to garner enough strength to break free, but he's too weak. He collapses back into the back, panting. Jake reaches out once more, to try and calm his brother down.

"Leave me alone like you always do. Go away…" Jake's hand stops, Finn's voice doesn't have the harsh edge as before, rather a defeated tone. Like he's given up. His eyes close, becoming still. Jake stands there, torn between doing what he's asked and remaining at his brother's side_. I know things are jacked up bro, but it will get better,_ a single tear runs down the dog's face as he turns and walks away. Closing the infirmary door behind him, he hopes he made the right choice.

* * *

PB and Marcy stare dumbstruck at the little robot, proudly displaying the sword she recovered. PB, blinking in surprise, reaches down to grab it, but Marcy stops her.

"Wait, Pebbles, think. If that is really Finn's cursed sword, how is it suddenly now free of him?" The vampire stares at the blade, BMO lowers it as she realizes neither woman was going to grab it. Marcy was right, PB thinks. She had run several tests on the blade when Finn had shown up, asking for her help to remove it. They did several, before Jake called it quits because of severity of some of the testing. Finn had control of it, could summon forth the blade at will, but couldn't remove it from his arm.

"And BMO, you said it was in his bedroom?" PB asks, still lost in thought. The machine nods.

"Wrapped up in his shirt, on the floor. I tripped over it." Marceline looks from BMO, still holding the blade to PB. First the blade Finn had earlier is missing, now his irremovable sword was here. Something very fishy was going on here, just what she had no clue. PB felt she was missing some important piece of the puzzle. Something was going on, something that her scientific brain couldn't wrap around. When faced with the impossible, look for the improbable. Ooo was a strange place, as much as it pains her to admit, not everything had a clear and concise explanation. With no warning, she snatches up the blade, holding it at arms width. Marcy and BMO gasp. It does nothing but remain as a blade in her hand. She swings it around, forcing Marcy to float out of her way. Nothing happens, it stays a blade.

"What the hey? You looking for trouble girl? What if that thing attached to you?" PB shrugs, it occurred to her that it might, but she didn't think it was likely. It was bonded to Finn, not her. She was just surprised that she could even hold it.

*_danger_* She blinks, almost dropping the blade. "Did you say anything?" She asks, still examining the sword. Marcy shakes her head, same with BMO. The words had been faint, wispy, as if the speaker barely had breath to utter them. She brings the sword up to her face, scrutinizing it. _Did it just say something?_

*_danger_* This time she keeps a better hold of it, moving closer still, her nose almost touching it. BMO and Marcy watch her, wondering what craziness she was up to.

"Is Finn in danger?" She asks softly, eyes never leaving the leafy blade. It shudders, returning to its form seconds later.

*_finn danger_*

"PB, who are you talking to?" Marcy floats closer to the candy woman who was still staring point blank at the sword. As Marcy gets close enough, she reaches out, grabbing her hand and puts it over hers on the hilt. Marcy starts to pull away, when she hears the words.

*_finn danger_* She relaxes, drawing closer. She looks to PB, who returns the glance.

"It just spoke..." PB nods. BMO comes closer to the women, upset because the blade didn't speak to her.

"It didn't say anything to BMO." She crosses her arms, pouting. Both women hear a faint reply.

*_can't_* PB looks down at the robot who was tapping her foot. Why couldn't it talk to BMO? Then it hits her, BMO was a machine. An artificial life form, alive but not. The sword may not be able to communicate with non-organic life. Marcy stands there, watching the blade, expecting something to happen.

"I know the blade wasn't this one. It was a small silver dagger, thin, double edged. Now it's missing, when I know it should still be here. What if...that thing was the cause of all this?" She muses out loud, not really expecting an answer.

*_evil_* The woman jump, this time the word was louder, with more emotion behind it.

"I think we need to get back to the castle."


	13. Chapter 13 - Dreams

**((Sorry, hubs had a medical issue so the chapter may not be as good as I hope - less time to write. Things are going slower, real world gets in the way))**

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Chapter 13 - Dreams

"Damn it, Jake." Finn mutters, opening his eyes. He had fallen back to sleep with the light Jake left on, but now it was blinding him. Squinting, he tries to lift his arm to block the light, only to remember that he was tied down. Sleep flittered longingly, but that light drove it beyond his grasp. _Why was the light suddenly so strong?_ Something was wrong, he felt different. Cold, uncomfortable as if the mattress he was lying on had been replaced with something much harder. Spreading his fingers out, he realizes it was different. Sleep evaporates with the knowledge that he was now lying on a metal table.

A sickening feeling was creeping up from his guts. _Why am I on a table?_ He shifts, only to find he's completely immobilized against the table. In addition to the straps on his wrists, new ones hold his legs and chest still. Fear grabs his chest, his heart's beating like a trapped animal.

_Where am I now? What's happening..._

The light lowers as two figures appear. At first, they are only dark shapes, the light drowns out any features. As they draw closer, he can see they are dressed in medical gowns. The taller one holds up its hands, the other follows a step behind, carrying a tray with a cloth on it. They stop at the edge of the table, staring down at him. Wrenching at the restraints, he watches in terror as the taller one reaches over and pulls the cloth off the tray. Glittering like lethal jewels, various metal instruments cover the tray. The person picks up one, twisting it back and forth, examining the wicked tool. They turn back to him, leaning over.

"Don't worry Finn," _Bubblegum?_ "This will only hurt for a little bit." She leans closer. From the edges of the mask, he sees the pale pink skin. Her eyes are different, glittering with some strange light. She places the instrument against the flesh of his stomach.

"BUBBLEGUM! What are you doing? STOP!" He thrashes, feeling the sharp point cut into his skin. She places a gloved hand on his stomach, pressing down hard to control his movement.

"Stay still now. The more you fight, the worse it will be." She pushes the instrument into his stomach, ripping a scream from him. Digging deeper, she continues, "The experiment will be over soon, please stop acting like a child." All he can do is scream, the pain spreads from his stomach to each limb. _NO, why is she doing this!_

She holds her hand out toward the other figure, reaching for another implement. The other person places an overly large syringe in her hand. She holds it up, pressing the plunger till the dark purple fluid leaks out the tip. She lowers it down to his trapped arm, stabbing the needle deep. More pain, this time like liquid fire spreads up his arm, into his chest. Breathing, already labored from screaming, becomes impossible. His voice fails, he can't draw air.

The figure stands up, reaching up with a blooded glove to pull down the face mask. Bubblegum's normally sweet face is gone, in its place is a twisted mockery. She cruelly smiles down at him.

"Don't worry Finn, this is only the first part." Then laughter erupts from her. His vision darkens as the room fades to black, her laughter echoes through his mind.

* * *

Bubblegum dug her hands deeper into the soft feathers of the Morrow. She was lost in thought, trying to piece together the clues that they have obtained. Figure out what was happening to Finn. In her mind's eye, she sees herself standing before a caulk board. There are several bullets written on the board, outlining the various information.

* Someone altered their calendars for one event

* The blade Finn injured himself with is missing

* Finn's cursed grass sword is NOT on him

Three items, somehow they had to be interconnected, but how? Or more importantly, why? Why would someone want to push Finn to the brink of madness? Was it repayment, punishment or a random act? It made no sense, or at least none that she could currently piece together.

A rough jolt snaps her out of her thoughts. She lifts her head to find they have landed at the Candy Kingdom Castle. Sliding off the Marrow, she hugs the giant bird thanks. It cries out once and launches itself skyward. Marceline, with BMO in tow, lands just as the bird leaves. Taking a second to let BMO leap down, she turns to address Bubblegum. She had been watching her on the flight back. She had looked distracted, lost in her own world. She could only hope that her thoughts were turned toward solving the events facing them, not dwelling on those that have passed.

PB shifts her pack, adjusting the sword she had pushed underneath it. She always wondered how Finn managed to keep a blade in place, apparently just tucking it under the weight of the pack seemed to work. Well, most of the time, she thinks as she pulls the blade back up. She dusts herself as off, turning toward the gates. Time to do some action.

"So, what are we gonna do first PB?" Marcy asks, floating behind the candy woman. They each grab a door, entering the silent castle. Considering the late hour, PB didn't expect anyone to be up waiting for them. Up on the throne, Peppermint Butler was draped across the seat, drooling and snoring softly. Marcy points him out, giggling. Bubblegum motions for her to be quiet and creeps up on the sleeping candy servant. Hovering over him, PB reaches down and gently pokes Peppermint on the forehead. He snorts, waving his arm around. She stifles a giggle herself and pokes him harder, making him thrash around until he falls off the seat. Snapping awake, he sits up and glares up at PB.

"Oh, Princess, I didn't hear you come in." He rises, putting himself back in proper order. PB continues to smile waiting for him to finish.

"So, any news?" Peppermint looks up at her, then shakes his head.

"Last time I checked, Finn was still unconscious. Jake was standing vigil over him." She nods, although it has been almost a full day, Finn probably needs the rest. _Speaking of rest_, she tries to stifle a yawn. Marcy drifts up to them, landing beside Peppermint.

"Ah yes, but you did have a caller." PB and Marcy stare down at the candy man. "Flame Princess called, shortly after you left." PB raises an eyebrow as Marcy growls under her breath.

"Flame Princess, what did she want?" Peppermint Butler shrugs.

"All she said is that she had an urgent matter to discuss with you and to call her upon your return." PB looks at the nearest window, into the night sky.

"Well, considering the time, I think it can wait till morning." Peppermint nods and hops down the stairs, leaving the women alone. Marcy glares at the departing candy man, but then eyes PB.

"Are you really planning on calling her back? I thought..." PB holds up her hand, cutting off the vampire.

"Yes, but I still have no proof." She starts, against shifting her pack, " And the more I think about all of this, the less I am beginning to think she had any part of it." Crossing her arms, Marcy waits for PB to explain. Of all the people that the vampire knew had issues with Finn, FP seemed the most likely suspect. Yes, it was cruel, even for her, but she could understand why the girl may have gone this far. A broken heart can do weird things._ Love makes the mind go crazy_. Bubblegum heads down the stairs, aiming for the door into the castle. Growling under her breath, she floats off behind her.

"Really PB? I mean…" PB stops in the hall, sighing. It would be easy, but it's not right._ I guess Finn rubbed off on me more than I thought_, she thinks. She looks at the vampire, they were both tired, exhausted. They had more clues, but where no closer to figuring out what was going on. She places her hand on Marcy's shoulder.

"For now, it can wait. I want to check on Finn then get some sleep before..." And a scream cuts through the air, interrupting her. Both women spin, looking down the hall toward the sound. Without another word, they take off.

* * *

Finn wakes with a start, screaming. Terror grips him, wiping out any thought except to escape. He knew she would be back, to finish what she started. He starts thrashing around the bed. Any person who has been around the young human, knew at times he could summon forth tremendous strength, specially under stressful or fearful conditions. This was apparently the case as the young man sits up, straining against the restraints violently.

Since they were constructed of leather, they did offer some resistance, but couldn't hold out against fear-driven strength. Struggling, increasingly becoming more violent in his efforts, they finally give up the ghost. With one final wrench, the strap on his left wrist snaps. His hand free, he scrabbles at the buckle of the right, scratching his skin, blindly seeking a way to remove the binding. His fingers move, ripping at the leather until the strap is pulled from the buckle. Free, he swings his legs off the bed and leaps forward, only to crash to the floor, ripping the IV's from his arm.

Still lost in his panic, unable to comprehend what was happening to him, he forces his battered body to crawl forward. Grabbing the edge of the bed, he pulls himself to his feet. Wobbling, he surveys the area. In his eyes, he was in the operating ward, gripping not the candy cane frame of his bed, but the steel edge of the operating table. Surrounding him were banks of light, so bright it washed out all other details of the room, but the double doors. The doors, they stood out, calling him, offering freedom from the madness. Lurching forward, half stumbling, he makes his way across the room.

Just as PB and Marceline round the corner to the hall outside the informatory, a figure stumbles out the door, collapsing to the floor. Bubblegum stops, shocked by the sight before her, but Marceline flies forward a few more feet.

"Finn? Finn, are you.." The figure on the floor turns toward them. PB holds her breath as the human's blue eyes take them in. His face, already pale and haggard, goes white. He mouth opens in a voiceless scream as he turns, dragging himself to his feet. Although the only people in the hall are the candy monarch and the vampire, Finn sees much more. An army of gowned surgeons, all covered in dried blood, holding various instruments fill the space. They have spotted him, making a slow progress toward him. _No, no, NO!_ He can't find his voice, fear has stripped it from him. He drags himself to his feet, he must get away. They'll finish her experiments, they'll _KILL ME!_

Seconds pass and reason kicks in, PB starts moving, shouting at Marcy.

"Stop him!" Marcy doesn't ask, just shoots down the hall. Reaching out, she closes the distance between herself and the fleeing human within seconds. She snatches his wrist, dropping to her feet and yanks him backwards. Thankfully, years of dealing with Finn has given her experience in dealing with his reactions. When she grabbed his wrist, he spun, aiming his other fist directly at her face. She was expecting his swing and catches his fist mid-swing, stopping his attack cold. He pulls back, trying to free himself, but she knew what his next move would probably be.

Pulling his left arm back, she twists him, spinning him around and looping her arms around him, still holding both hands. She pulls him against her, locking his arms across his chest, pinning him against her. He thrashes, wrestling to free himself and suddenly brings his head forward. She was waiting for this part, having suffered at least one bloody nose from his reverse head-butt.

Before he can finish, she falls back, landing roughly on her butt, wrapping her legs around his waist. By this time, PB has caught up with them. She drops to her knees in front of Finn, struggling within the vampire's embrace. His eyes where wide, panting and thrashing around. She reaches out and grabs his face, forcing him to face her. She met his fear-filled eyes.

"Finn, Finn... calm down, you're ok. Please, calm down." Marcy grunts, struggling to keep the human still. He tries to pull free from PB's grasp. _Think, think... what could be wrong?_ She studies his face, trying to figure out something that would break him from his apparent terror. Terror... was he asleep? Having a nightmare? Sparing no thought, she leans in and kisses him on the lips, holding his face as still as she could manage.

Finn blinks, unable to process what was happening. Bubblegum pulls back from him, watching him.

"Finn, are you ok?" She looks worried. _What was she doing, kissing me?_

"PB, what the math is going on?" He realizes he was sitting on the floor, someone was holding him. He shifts, trying to look behind him.

"Quick thinking there, Bonnie. You done fighting yet, kiddo?" Marceline asks, slowly releasing her hold on the young human. He nods, leaning forward. Confusion, something he was beginning to think was becoming a normal state for him, settles over him. A memory surfaces, he shutters. The women wait, hoping whatever fit he was suffering from was over.

"I...you," He looks up at PB, noticing she wasn't wearing any operating gown. It was a dream, a nightmare. So real, he felt everything... but a dream. "You were hurting me." He answers her unspoken question, not willing to met her gaze. Marcy leans forward and this time, hugs him gently.

"Finn, we wouldn't ever hurt you." PB swallows, reaching down to his chin and raising his face up.

"I wouldn't hurt you, Finn. Ever. You were having a nightmare." He watches her. They had to be right, there was no reason to not to believe them, but the fear that gripped him wasn't dissipating. It lay coiled in his gut, heavy. He knows whatever is happening to him is far from over.


	14. Chapter 14

**((sorry, this may seem short, but I will add / start new chapter as soon as I can - my hubs is still sick &amp; getting more testing today {yes, my age is showing} - COMMENT plz :} It's gonna start getting exciting soon))**

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Chapter 14

"Can I get off the floor?" Finn asks, his legs were numb from the awkward way he was sitting. Marceline releases him, unwrapping her legs from his body and rising to her feet. She holds out a hand to Finn, who ignores it, trying to get up himself. Halfway up he stumbles, almost crashing back to the floor. Both women drive to catch him, each grabbing an arm to support. Finally on his feet, he tries to get them to release him, but they just lead him back to the ward. Nearing the doors, a tendril of fear curls around his heart for a second, but as soon as they pass thru into the normal room it withers. They walk him toward the nearest bed, pushing him down.

He sits, watching as PB goes over to his old bed and turns off the machines. She clicks off the light, plunging the room into darkness. Marceline climbs on the bed beside him. He stares at his lap, exhausted, numb. He doesn't want to deal with them. PB finally joins them, clicking on a different lamp, lighting up the area they were now sitting.

PB sits down on the bed across from him, shouldering off her pack. He looks up, raising up his left arm.

"Was this necessary?" He knows PB wouldn't have restrained him for no good reason, but it was humiliating. There are marks on his skin near the leather, he must have been struggling hard against it. Marcy reaches over and unbuckles it, showing the red marks underneath. He yanks his arm from her, rubbing the marks.

"Sadly yes, we were worried, Finn." Bubblegum starts. She wasn't looking forward to this talk, it was going to be hard on him. Hard on all of us, but we can't just let it go. Ignoring things is how we ended up here. Breathing deeply to calm herself, she leans forward. _I wish I could have scored some zzz's, but he's awake. Better to do this now than wait. _She hadn't let Marcy know that she formulated a plan during the flight back, simple but hopefully effective. She wasn't sure how Marcy was react or if the vampire would object, she needs answers. Finn's life was at stake.

"What do you remember?" She asks, keeping her voice gentle. He narrows his eyes at her.

"I remember allot, PB." His voice has a harsh edge to it. "You telling me to go away for one." She waits, hoping he'll continue on his own.

"I'm sorry for that Finn. I didn't realize..." He lurches to his feet.

"Stop lying to me Bubblegum. I'm sick of it. That's all you do anymore." He leers at her. She was treating him like a sick child, something that needed to be coddled. He was tired of her self-righteous attitude. She was watching him, studying him, like he was one of her projects. Clenching his fists, he struggles against the urge to wipe that look from her face.

"Finn, I'm not lying. I honestly didn't remember." Marcy leans forward and touches his elbow, making him jump. He spins to face the vampire. The feeling from before was growing stronger, could he believe either of these women?

"Finn, something strange is going on. Someone wanted us to forget your birthday."

"Yeah right, what game are you playing? Are you tag teaming me?"

"Finn, I'm not kidding. This isn't a game, someone wanted you to have a breakdown." He glares at her, then over to PB. Both women share the same look, the same masks of shock, hurt and worry. Good, they deserve to know how they made him feel. PB stands, coming over to face him. As much as he's grown, she still towers over him, his face coming up to the amulet around her neck.

"Finn, I know this will be hard, but what was the last thing you remember?" He refuses to look up at her. Minuets pass as they stand there, squaring off. Finally, he realizes that she wasn't going to back down. Be grudgingly, he gives in. Refusing to meet her eyes, he keeps staring at her amulet. To his surprise, it seems to sparkle with an inner light, like it held a flame inside. He can't bring himself to look away from it, it was mesmerizing. His anger at her fades, drifting away as a fog rolls across his mind.

"I remember going home, alone. You told me to go away, so I did." She nods, he had come by while she was in the middle of an experiment. She remembers him asking what she was doing, going on about what her plans for the day was, but it was distracting. She told him to wait, to come back later and she could talk, but not now. He left, to where she had no clue.

"Was anyone home?" The flicking dancing light fills his vision. Slowly memories start to return, surfacing thru the swamp of his mind. The house was empty, not even BMO was there to greet him.

"No," He closes his eyes, remembering. Thunder, rain and the empty treehouse. The hurt he felt that night returns in force, driving out the last of his anger. Sorrow fills him, putting an ache in his chest. "There was a note, from Jake. He was at Lady's." It hurt to say the words. He sighs, his shoulders slumping. Marcy watches, his sudden reversal was odd. She glances from him to PB, noticing the concentrated look on the other woman's face. She knew something was going on, she was doing this to him, somehow. She slides off the bed, standing behind the human.

"What did you do?" Lightning crashes as he finds himself back at the house. Sadness, heartache and pain. He wants it to stop. Why did they have to forget, was he worth so little to them? He speaks as if in a dream.

"I went upstairs, I was going to go to bed. But when I got up there... your smiling faces. Why, why did none of you remember?" A sob works its way from his throat as he wobbles. Marceline reaches out to steady him, but PB shakes her head, motioning to not touch him. Marcy gives her a look, trying to let her know that she'll follow her lead. Marcy sets her face, crossing her arms. _Wish she told me she had something planned..._

"Your photos?" PB asks, barely above a whisper. He nods. He watches himself pick each one up, remembering how he received them. How each of them hurt him.

"Yeah, each of you... I was... am so angry, how could you all forget?" He mummers. He watches himself destroys each one. It hurt so much, to think they forgot something as simple as his birthday. Did they ever care?

"Anything else? Think Finn." That voice, who's was it. Lightning crashes and his eyes catch a glimmer in the darkness. His blade. He reaches for the silver weapon, knowing it would help, ease his pain. Make the emotions tearing at his insides go away. PB steps aside as Finn raises his hand, reaching for something that neither woman can see. His fingers touch the silver surface, his friend. His only friend.

"Finn, what are you reaching for?" He hurts, all he needs is to hold his friend. Touch its smooth surface, feel its warmth. It would make the pain stop, make the hurt go away, go back into his vault. He opens his mouth, wanting to answer but suddenly a sharp pain stabs his skull. He screams, clutching his head and falling to his knees. His eyes open, tears in them from the pain.

"Finn, Finn…" Marcy grabs his shoulders. He struggles against her, pushing her off. His skull feels like it's full of angry bees, all trying to escape by bursting out. The pain intensifies, forcing another scream from him.

"Stop, make it...stop..." He tries to rise to his feet, but his vision is fuzzy, his head spins. A thin trickle of blood runs from his nose as the pressure increases. Marcy catches him as he collapses, finally losing consciousness. Lifting him, she gently lays him down on the nearest bed. PB rushes over, grabbing a wrist. His pulse was weak, his skin cold and clammy. She points to the blanket folded at the end of the bed, Marcy grabs it and flips it open over him.

She feels his forehead, brushing aside the sweat soaked hair. He was shivering slightly, the blood from his nose contrasted starkly to the paleness of his skin. His body couldn't keep up like this. What was happening to him, why would his memory trigger such a violent reaction. She uses her sleeve to wipe the blood off his face.

"What was he reaching for?" She asks, not expecting an answer. Her heart aches with him, she didn't want to make him hurt anymore. _What is going on with him?_

Marcy hovers over the bed, unsure what to do. She was annoyed at PB, at what was she trying to do. She knows this wasn't what she expected to happen, but she also should have realized that it was a possibly. Finn has been thru heck and back. Anything could happen, since they were dealing with the an unknown force. Her unspent rage wakens, she spins and punches PB's shoulder, knocking the candy woman back a step.

"Damn it, PB!" She floats down to the floor, leering at her. "Hasn't he gone through enough. Making him relive that night, really!" Her anger was back, threatening to take itself out on the candy monarch. Keeping herself still, she waits, hoping she would do something that would allow her to vent some of her frustration.

PB regains her footing, rubbing her shoulder. She sees the hurt, the anger in Marceline's face. They all felt guilty about this, some more than others. Facing the vampire's ire, she accepts the fact she made a mistake. She should have waited until he recovered more. She hangs her head, defeated.

"Do you really think I want to hurt him?" She was exhausted, her head hurt. The bottled up emotions she was avoiding suddenly overflow her. She feels tears forming as she stands there, feeling lost. A sob breaks free, she turns away from the bed. Watching PB finally break, Marcy's anger dissipates. She floats over to the woman, wrapping her in a hug.

PB stands there, cradled by the vampire as the all the pain and heartache she held in overflows and spills out of her. Her sobs refuse to stop, she cries so hard that they turn into small hiccups. Marcy just holds her, she knew the candy woman was trying to hold strong for all of them, be the keystone for their bridge. But even the strongest marble can crack under enough strain. Minuets pass and her tears finally stop. She opens her red eyes, staring down at her discarded pack on the opposite bed. She pushes free of Marcy, reaching for something on the bed. Marcy turns, watching her move the backpack reviling Finn's Grass sword. The sword was laying on the mattress, writhing like a living thing. PB grabs the hilt and the blade stills. She holds it up and looks at Marceline. As one, they turn toward the sleeping boy.

***_danger_*** PB swallows as that voice repeats its earlier warning. _What danger? To him, from him? I don't understand_, she thinks to herself. The blade shutters, waving, then reforms.

***_danger_***


	15. Chapter 15 - Awakening

**((things are picking up - may need to tweak this chapter once 16 is done, but we shall have to see. Thanks everybody - this story is helping my keep my sanity right now))**

Chapter 15 - Awakening

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Jake was running, full tilt. His surroundings where a dark featureless expanse of terrain. He couldn't figure out where he was or how he had gotten there, but he wasn't alone. Off to each side, he could see others running as if their lives depended on it. Princess Bubblegum, Marceline, Lady and many more. _What the Glob is going on... why are_... His thoughts are cut off by a blood-curdling scream from behind him. The sounds drove him forward instinctively. Whatever was causing that sound was nothing he wanted to mess with. Another scream sounds and another, then he realizes that there are less people running beside him. He slows, finally coming to a stop as another scream echoes around him.

With fear in his heart he turns, scanning the darkness around him. At first nothing, no movement, then a figure becomes clear. Lady Rainicorn is flying at him, full speed, looking as if she was terrified. He stretches out toward her, but she waves him away, shouting wordlessly at him. Then the darkness surrounding her shifts, melting away to revile a figure behind her. Tall, pale and seemingly on fire, it reaches out for her. He shouts, or rather tries as no sound comes from his mouth. He watches in horror as the figure grabs Lady, her scream cutting thru the silence. She drops to the ground, swallowed by the darkness. The figure looks up at Jake, pointing a long finger at him.

Jake stands there, frozen in fear, unable to move or scream. The figure draws near, bending down to loom over the dog. It reaches out with skeletal fingers as finally his voice rips out of him.

* * *

Jake wakes with a start, flailing around till he falls off the bed he was draped on. Dropping to the floor with a grunt, he continues to lie there, panting and listening to his heart beat crazily in his chest. Seconds pass and he comes to the realization he wasn't in the dark. Bright daylight fills the space, illuminating the room Lady and himself where sharing. Pulling himself upright, he watches as Lady floats by carrying a small tray laden with food. She spies Jake laying on the floor, detouring toward him.

**Jake, are you alright?** She comes over to him, floating above his body. He blinks at her, nodding, pulling himself up to sit on the bed.

"Yeah. I just woke up," He rubs the slightly sore spot where he landed. "Guess I fell off the bed." She lands beside him, holding the tray down enough so he can see. Various fruits, pancakes, waffles and other breakfast food cover it. His stomach growls, rippling his belly in its discomfort. He doesn't feel like eating, but knows his guts had a mind of their own. If he didn't make them happy, they would beat on him until he obeyed.

Grabbing a large apple, he sits on the edge of the bed, thinking about his dream. _No, nightmare. That dream was grunked up. Think, what can you remember about it?_

"Not much." He answers himself, gaining a strange look from Lady.

**Jake, what is wrong?** She asks, floating over to the table to put down the tray. He takes another bite, still lost in thought. She returns to him, coming to stand before his distracted face. Popping the remaining part of the apple in his mouth, he fixes Lady with a strange look.

"Sorry Love, I was trying to remember the dream I was having just before I woke up. It was totally bananas." She settles down, munching on her piece of fruit.

"I was running, but it wasn't just me. You were there, PB, Marcy, Ice King and even FP. There were other people there too. We were all running from something bad, very bad." He shutters, remembering that horrible feeling. Fear mixed with utter terror, not something he often felt. Lady watches him shutter and leans over to kiss his forehead. He smiles, nuzzling her face.

**I had a dream like that too.** He pulls back from her. **We were running from something, but I never saw it. I woke up after everyone else started disappearing.** A fragment of the dream returns, they were running and Lady was right. People off to the side had started disappearing with horrible screams. Jake had stopped and turned, he remembers seeing Lady get attacked by something. He could almost see what it was, yellow and black, reaching out toward him.

Shaking himself, he tries to push away the dream. Dreams can't hurt you. But why did Lady have a similar dream? Were they interconnected some how?

Lady finishes her fruit, looking over to the tray. She had woken from her strange dream, feeling like she had spent hours running. Sadly, she couldn't remember much, just running and watching other people disappear. Oh, and fear, heart stopping fear. There was a sense that something evil was after them, but nothing she could put her finger on. She had thought it was just a random nightmare, but now hearing Jake had a similar dream made her think otherwise.

"Has anyone been by this morning?" He asks, sliding from the bed. All thoughts of hunger where gone, both of them having such a similar nightmare was too much a coincidence. _Wonder if anyone else had one?_

**No. By the way, what time did you come to bed?** He stops, last night felt like another dream. Finn had finally woken up, but everything went south from there. He knew his brother was gonna be upset, but to react like he had was shocking. It hurt. _Still don't know why he said that I always left him alone. I rarely leave his side, unless I'm with Lady and the kids_. He turns back, watching Lady return to the tray and dig into another piece of fruit. Lady and the kids, _did he really think I spend all my time with them?_ _Did he think I abandoned him? Glob it, Finn, we are family. I wouldn't leave you. _How much of Finn's problem was caused by his actions or rather, lack of action. Lady looks up, feeling him watch her. She smiles, noticing his sad look.

Putting down the apple core, she floats over to Jake, coiling around him. He sighs, his heart aches, thinking that he may have contributed to his brother's breakdown.

"I don't know, late. He woke up," His voice dies as the memory returns, Finn struggling against the restraints. Him collapsing, panting. His voice weak, beaten and defeated. _Leave me alone like you always do. Go away…_

"He shouted at me to go away, to leave him alone like I always do." He looks mournfully into Lady's large eyes. She kisses his forehead again, trying to comfort him.

**You never left him alone Jake, remember the time you tried to get us to..." He shakes his head, this was different. He has been helping Lady allot, leaving Finn to deal with everything in his head alone.

"But I did, I did." She coils around him tighter, sharing his pain. It did occur to her that she was partially to blame, Jake had been with her and the pups allot. She didn't stop to think Finn had a problem with things, but apparently he did. _Why couldn't you have said something Finn, I would have understood. I love Jake, but you came first, your family too._ Jake sighs again, then returns her kiss as he stretches out of her grasp.

"Time to see if PB and Marcy are back. Maybe they have something that will be helpful."

* * *

For once, no dreams woke him, no haunting voices spoke in the darkness of sleep. Finn opens his eyes, staring into the infirmary ward, lit up by the morning sunlight. Slowly, he pushes himself upright. Flexing his fingers, he's glad to see PB didn't find reason to restrain him again. Looking around, he finds himself in the same bed they had him sit on last night. Last night, strange things happened last night. His memory was patchy, PB was talking to him. He stood there, boiling with anger but doing nothing. What did he do?

Carefully, pulling the blanket aside, he swings his legs out, staring down at himself.

"Just great, I was running around in my undies." A faint smile graces his face, color washing across his cheeks. He wasn't wearing much, no shorts and shirt, just his underwear and bandages. A lot of bandages. He tugs on edge of the one on his left arm, unraveling it carefully. The first cuts he sees are old, maybe two weeks or more. The higher the gauze goes, the newer the wounds are. Just before his elbow, the gauze sticks to his skin. Pulling harder, it comes free, now red with fresh blood. The gash there was deeper, stitched shut but still raw looking.

He looks at his other arm, wondering how much damage he did to that one. He knows what he did, he's been doing it for months, hiding it from everyone. But never so many, never that deep, someone would have noticed. His memory is fuzzy, he can remember bits and pieces, but it was the heartache that hurt the worst. It was still there, lurking beneath the surface, like a predator waiting for its prey to turn its back.

Sliding forward, his feet land on the cool floor, causing a slight shiver. Looking around, he wonders if any of his clothes were around. Pushing up from the bed, he steadies himself as a wave of dizziness comes over him. Blinking, until it passes, he stares forward down the empty room. Several bed down, he sees the one that yesterday he had been resting it. Walking slowly, like a baby learning to walk, he makes his way to the area. Most of the machines were dark, an image of PB turning them off tugs at his brain. The small bedside table had a drawer partially open. Pulling on the knob, he's greeted by a welcome sight of familiar blue cloth. Taking his time, he slowly dresses himself. His shorts and shoes where a welcome addition, but his shirt was missing.

His strength was slowly returning, he was still tired, weak and sore. The more he moves around, the better he slowly begins to feel. At least physically, his mind still felt beaten. What surprised him was the fact that he was alone. Considering that he recently injured himself badly, _more like tried to_ _off myself_, he wonders why they all left him alone. Was it to make him feel better, prove that they trusted him enough to not do anything rash. The old doubts creep back in, pushing aside the more logical thoughts. _Did they leave me alone hoping I would do something?_ Sighing, he returns to his new bed, wondering what he should do. As he walks between the two beds, movement catches his eye.

Something on the bed across from his was moving. Taking a tentative step, he draws closer, watching the bed wiggle. Was there someone else in the ward with him?

Another step brings him to the mattress, allowing the object to come into the view. Upon the covers, lay a single long sword, writhing like a snake. He hold up his arm, staring in shock at the sight of his bare skin. Before him lay his cursed Grass Sword._ How in Glob did they get it off?_

He flexes his fingers, still taken back by the sight of the magical sword not wrapped around his wrist. He had tried to remove it, worried that something sinister would happen if he left it attached. Eventually he came to understanding that it wasn't going to cause him any issue, it was actually helpful. Having a blade that he was able to will into existence and not worry about losing proved to be a Gob-send.

"But why are you off me now?" Unconsciously, he reaches for the hilt. Drawing closer, the blade becomes more animated, as if it didn't want him to touch it. As his hand got within inches, a sharp pain lances through his skull. Pulling back, the pain lessens. Looking at the writhing blade, he reaches forward, again the pain stabs his brain. Straining against the pain, he forces his hand closer, his finger tips graze the blade.

**_...NO..._**

The force of the voice in his skull drops him to his knees. Clenching his jaw, he grabs his head. The pressure was back a thousand fold, but this time something else with it. The cold dread and nameless fear from darkness was inside him, the presence from his dreams was real.

**_...YOU...ARE...MINE!_**

"No... I am no one's...but...myself..." The words come out his lips, but as the seconds pass, they feel less and less as if he spoke them. A fog was muffling him, strangling him from inside his own mind. His grasp on his very self slips away. Suddenly the pain is gone, he's once again in the dark, but this time there was a window before him. He sees himself kneeling on the floor, slowly sitting up and looking around. He reaches forward, his hand bumps against nothingness. Watching, it dawns on him what was happening. He can see out his eyes, but he has no control over his body.

_No... who are you? What have you done? _He pounds against the invisible window before him. Leaning his head against the surface, he realizes he can't get thru. _Where am I?_ Whispers come from the darkness, swirling around him, each speaking different words, singing a maddening chorus.

_danger... evil... no, leave me be... go away... _

_help us... no, i don't want to ... help us..._

_run, get away... stop... danger..._

Finn stands, but it was Finn no longer. This one's life was strong, his soul powerful. Pure even, it laughs enjoying the feel of flesh after centuries of nothingness. Lifting the boy's arms, it looks over the body that it has claimed. Even injured, this vessel would be strong enough to complete the task. It had more souls to gather, more to add to its flock.

"I am your Sheppard." It spoke with the boy's voice. Finn's once blue eyes are gone, the innocence they once held replaced with something else. A darkness, corrupt and ancient. His eyes are black pools that radiate a deep red glow. This body would serve it well, for as long as it lasted. Not as if that concerned the entity within.

On the bed before the body of Finn, the Grass Sword writhed. It caught the attention of the entity, who recognized the magical object. A slow smile crossing its face, the eyes gleam. The sword, if it was capable, would have struck its previous master, anything to prevent the bloodshed it knew was coming. But without a being to weld it, it was unable to do more than thrash around in frustration. Finn leans over the blade, the smile fades.

"He is mine. As are they all. You failed once again." The sword snaps straight, jumping slightly off the mattress. Finn/Shep stands up, out of reach, laughter erupts from him.


	16. Chapter 16 - Surprises

**((Tweaked edited and proofed - sorta [lol] so COMMENT and let me know what you all think.))**

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Chapter 16 - Surprises

"Are you sure we should be calling her?" Marceline asks, floating after Princess Bubblegum. They were heading to the conference room, the easiest place to return the call from the Fire Kingdom. Marcy wasn't up to par, she didn't get much sleep last night and what sleep she got, wasn't worth the effort. Stifling a yawn, she stops suddenly, barely keeping from running into the candy woman as she stops.

"I don't think she's behind any of this, plus she did call me first. It could be important, I can't ignore her request." PB blinks wearily, exhaustion was wearing on her as well. Sleep had been fitful, she kept having a recurring nightmare. The last time she awoke, she found Marceline sitting in her room, watching her. Apparently, she also was having trouble sleeping, suffering from nightmares. To their shared surprise, they both had similar dreams. Both of them had been running from something, something dark and evil. Another shared feature, others were in the dream, also fleeing the same menace. After comparing dreams, they both realize that neither of them knew what they were fleeing from.

In her dream, Marcy had turned to confront the unknown assailant, ready to attack but she couldn't remember what had come out of the darkness. Only the fear it instilled in her. She had woken up screaming, tangled in her blankets. Bubblegum didn't fare much better. She had stopped to aid Flame Princess, who had screamed and fallen out of the sky. When she reached her, the ground was swallowing her. As she sunk, something else rose up behind her. In the darkness she hadn't been able to make out many details. She woke as a skeletal hand reached out of the darkness toward her.

They mutually agreed sleep was beyond their grasp. After dreams like that, either of them wanted to return it's comforting embrace. Stumbling off their separate ways to dress, they met back up to scrounge up some grub. Filling themselves, they left to drop by the infirmary to check on Finn. They found him still sleeping, curled up on the bed they had placed him last night. The Grass Sword was where they left it, although it had stopped its movement, resuming its normal form. Bubblegum went to grab it, but Marcy grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"As much as I worry about his mental state, I think leaving it for him might help. It's something that he's familiar with." PB looks down at the enchanted weapon, thinking. She was worried about leaving the weapon, fearing he might injure himself again, but the vampire's words made sense. He had grown attached to the sword, in more ways than one. Conceding to the Marceline's wish, they leave the blade on the bed where it lay.

* * *

Jake was drowsy, between the nightmare and the light breakfast, his energy was non-existent. Normally he could find his way around the Candy Castle, but this morning, his brain kept drifting away leading him down random passages. More than once, he's had to turn around and backtrack, finding himself at a dead-end. Yawning, he turns another corner, smacking straight into a set of legs. Bubblegum, the unfortunate recipient of Jake's face to knee move, stumbles back into Marcy, who was floating behind her. Falling backwards, his tail instinctively coils into a spring, pushing him back to his feet. Upright, he stretches out to catch PB.

"Sorry PB, my eyes... aren't... quite awake yet." He mumbles out around a yawn. She smiles down at the dog, sharing the feeling. They all needed sleep, but more important things demand their attention.

"It's alright Jake." She straightens her shirt and jacket while holding a hand over her mouth as a yawn sneaks its way out. "How are you holding up?" Jake shrugs.

"Hanging in there, Pebbles. Enough about me, what did you find at the treehouse? Lady told me you two were heading over there." Marcy comes up behind him, leaning against the wall.

"Yeah, your calendar suffered the same fate as PB's. In fact, it wasn't even on the wall, rather under the table. Considering the amount of dust, it's probably been there for a while." Jake turns to eye the vampire, scratching his head.

"Under the table? Might have fallen down, I guess." _That's odd_, he thinks, "Anything else?" The two women eye each other, neither answering him directly. Crossing his arms, he grows up to their size, leering at them and tapping his foot.

"Spill it, what did you find?" PB sighs, she'd rather not bring it up, but he deserves to know everything they found, or rather didn't find.

"We couldn't find the blade Finn cut himself with." She offers, waiting for his reaction. He starts, blinking as a tear threatens, shrinking back to his normal size. Marcy pushes away from the wall, floating up and hovering over him. She leans over, propping her elbows against his head.

"But we did find his other sword." Jake, nervous that the vampire was touching him, shakes her off. She didn't want to hurt him, just make him stop thinking about Finn for a second. Hustling over to PB's side, he gives the vampire a warning look. He knows she won't try anything, but he's still not fully conquered his fear of her.

"Other sword, which one? Finn has like three or four of them." PB interrupts him.

"His Grass sword." Jake's mouth snaps shut. He opens it, shuts it, and then tries again, finally finding his voice.

"But... but that one can't come off. We tried, " He points at PB, "You tried. How ... what? Argh, what the Grob is going on!" He throws his hands up in frustration. Nothing was making sense, it's like something was playing with them on purpose, dangling random bits in front of them to see if they grabbed at them. _Probably laughing at us as well_, he thinks. Growling softly he waits, wondering what else they were going to drop in his lap.

"Yeah, we know. And it gets worse," Marcy adds, landing on the floor beside him. Jake sneers up at her. "It knows something is wrong as well." For a second, he stares at her blankly, then he raises an eyebrow.

"It knows? What you going on about?" He shouts, "It's a sword!" He jumps out from behind PB, barely able to control himself. PB kneels down beside him, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"That apparently isn't as dumb as you think." He stands there, breathing heavily. This all was messing with his melon. "It's an enchanted weapon, Jake. You know what it can do, so the fact that it's aware of things around it shouldn't be a total surprise." Closing his eyes, he forces himself to relax, to calm down. He needs what brains he's got to think through this. Finn needs him, them, to figure out what is going on.

"Fine, so it might know what's happening. Peachy." He opens his eyes to meets hers, "Has it told you anything that will help?" She shakes her head. Another growl rumbles from him as he pushes her hands off him, turning to stomp in a circle.

"OH MY GLOB?! Then what are we going to do?" Bubblegum watches the frustrated dog pace the hall. He was trying to accept what they were offering up to him. She had to give him credit, considering his hot-headiness, she's was surprised that he hasn't stormed off in a rage. Marcy joins the candy woman, eyeing the pooch.

"Good question." She nudges PB with her elbow. "Weren't we going to return a call?" Jake freezes, whipping back to face the women.

"Call? Call who?" PB rolls her eyes, Marcy could be as bad as Jake at times.

"Flame Princess," His eyes grow large. She continues before he can start venting, "Who called yesterday while we were at the treehouse." Jake's face contorts with various emotions, fighting a battle within himself.

"So, you don't think she's responsible, right?" PB and Marcy both nod. "Fine, let's go." He spins, marching off down the hall. Marcy starts to giggle softly, watching the annoyed pooch head in the wrong direction.

"Jake," He stops, listening. "It's this way." Without a word he spins round and marches back toward them. As he passes them, the ladies fall in line behind him. This was going to be a VERY long day.

* * *

Flame Princess sits on the edge of her stone bed, her heart still racing. The nightmare that woke her was fading like smoke, slipping thru her fingers. She had been fleeing something, afraid of some nameless evil. That was terrifying by itself, knowing that something made her feel so afraid. As she ran, she noticed other people fleeing with her; CB, his fire wolf, even her father.

She had stopped, just as a scream split the air. Turning toward the sound, she watches in horror as the darkness wraps around CB. Within seconds he was gone, but something else took his place. A shape rose from the ground, forming into a figure. It lifted a thin skeletal arm at her. When it reached the level of her heart, she felt the air around her grow cold. Before she could do anything, a voice screams in her head / **RUN** / and she woke with a jump.

_What did it mean? Was it an omen, was something coming?_ Fear was something she wasn't used to, it left her feeling odd, defenseless. Ever since she learned about that blade, she knew it would bring trouble. Now that its missing, the fear settled in her gut, like a rock that she couldn't melt. She knew it was the cause of this, it had to be.

"Which means someone found it, ... Oh Glob, please, let it be anyone but him." The words come unbidden, her heart hurts just thinking about it. She was upset with Finn, plain and simple. He had done some stupid things, but after time, she realized, so had she. He hurt her, but she also hurt him. Perhaps it was simply because they were young, perhaps it was because neither of them wanted to accept that they were more opposite than similar. After everything was said and done, she still cared about him. Now, she feared for him.

If the legends about this blade held any truth, his life was in danger. By Glob, all their lives were in grave danger. Rising, she stretches letting the last of the nightmare evaporate.

Her door suddenly opens as Cinnamon Bun dashes inside, Jake, his ever present fire wolf, at his heels. He was holding something up in front of him, a faint green glow reflecting off him.

"Princess, Princess…." He stops to pant, holding out the pendant. "This just started to flashing. Maybe Bubblegum is trying to call." Reaching out she grasps the crystal pendant, holding it up to her face. Squeezing the crystal lightly, it activates.

A small square picture projects from the back on it, growing twice its original size. The projection is opaque enough that she can just make out the shape of CB behind. On the green screen, a small version of Princess Bubblegum appears.

"Flame Princess, sorry I wasn't available when you called. I got back very late, I didn't think it would be prudent to call at such an hour." Flame Princess smiles, considering all that happened between the two royals, she was trying to be civil. Some things will never change.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Princess Bubblegum, but I… need your help." Even though she had to ask for help, it was hard pill to swallow. Although she didn't fully trust the candy monarch, their petty issues didn't hold a flame to the real matter at hand. On the screen, Bubblegum seems surprised, _maybe she really was_, FP didn't care.

"Since I took over the Kingdom, I've been trying to repair the problems my father caused." PB nods, it was a logical idea. "I managed to locate a list of artifacts that the Fire Kingdom had acquired over the years." She waits, relieved that so far, PB wasn't objecting to her methods. She had fully expected to defend herself, knowing that the candy woman would question her every decision. Hoping her luck would hold out, she continues.

"I managed to locate, secure or destroy almost everything on the list." PB nods, the implied intent apparently not registering. She opens her mouth to continue, but a voice from off screen pipes up.

"Almost everything?" The screen grows as Bubblegum hits a switch on the pedestal before her. Marceline comes into view, floating off to one side. On PB's opposite side, FP recognizes Finn's brother, Jake. The yellow dog looks worried, in fact, she leans closer to the halo-screen and studies the three figures displayed. They all look worn out, like they haven't slept well in days. The rock hard lump of fear reminds her it was still there.

"Yes, Marceline. Almost everything. There is one item that appears to be missing." Bubblegum, holding her chin in thought, turns away from the screen.

"Missing? As in you can't locate or it's not where it should be?" Leave it to the smarty pants to figure things out fast, FP can't hide the faint smile that crosses her face.

"Not where it should be. I found out my Grandfather located this artifact, after searching many years. He had discovered old legends that described an ancient powerful weapon. He originally wanted it to help defeat the Fire Kingdom's enemies." Those listening turn to wait, watching the screen intently. "The more he looked, the worse the stories grew. Finally he decided that it was too deadly for anyone to possess, even himself." Marceline whistles softly, if FP's grandfather was anything like her father, this weapon must be crazy scary for him to not desire it.

"He finally located the weapon. While searching, he had a dungeon built to lock it away. Once secure, he then hid the only map." Bubblegum leans closer to the screen. She opens her mouth, but FP holds up her hand, silencing her.

"Cinnamon Bun found the map." CB trots around the display, waving to everybody from behind FP. Jake gives the strange pastry man a small wave back. "I sent my guard to procure the artifact, but they returned with news that the dungeon had been breached and was empty." Marcy swallows, the sense of dread that has been with her the last few days was in full force, strong enough she felt sick. Jake whines softly. Bubblegum stands up, waiting, fear also settling in her chest. _Could everything that has been happening be somehow related to_ … Her mind refuses to finish the thought.

Flame Princess sighs, all three of the people before her were acting as if they already had horrible news. Had something happened in the Candy Kingdom? Please, no… her stomach turns.

"The weapon is called the Whispering Blade." Flame Princess finishes, the words felt wrong as she utters them. Marcy and Jake draw closer to PB.

"Do you have a description of the weapon?" Bubblegum asks, gripping the pedestal tightly as a wave of dizziness washes over her. FP opens her mouth, but another voice answers the question.

"Thin, silver, double edged dagger." Bubblegum whips around to stare open-mouth at Marceline. Jake grows large enough so he can catch the vampire as she falls, stunned. Flame Princess can't talk, can't breathe, the fear has her heart in its grip.

"How do you know that Marceline!" Jake shakes the vampire, his fear of the woman gone. He eases her over to a chair as PB joins them. The display swivels to follow them, allowing FP to continue watching. Marceline stares blindly ahead, her heart hammering in her chest. She didn't fully understand the full weight of what the information meant, but it terrifies her.

"That was the blade Finn had… the one that he used…" She whispers, her voice cracking, "The missing one." FP feels her flames go cold at Finn's name. The halo-pendant slips from her fingers to the floor, somehow not canceling the transmission. CB looks at the sideway picture, then at Flame Princess, who has gone a blue color. CB may not understand a lot, but he knows this isn't good. He grabs the pendant, holding it up so he's staring at a shocked people.

"Princess, is Finn alright?" Bubblegum blinks, CB's question brings her back from the numb cloud that washed over her mind. Steadying herself, she turns to address him.

"Yes, he is now." She swallows, everything was going crazy fast. "He's here in the Candy Castle, but if Marceline in right, the blade he used to hurt himself may be this Whispering Blade." Behind CB, Flame Princess hears Bubblegum's words... _Finn hurt himself?_ _No, that can't be right, she has to be lying or I didn't hear her right._ The fear inside is brushed aside by anger. Leaping to her feet, her flames suddenly flare up. She snatches the halo-pendant from CB, glaring through the screen at PB.

"Hurt himself? What are you talking about, Finn wouldn't…." Bubblegum shakes her head, interrupting her.

"Yes he did." Her eyes held tears in them, "He almost killed himself. We have been trying to figure out why for the last two days..." FP's eyes go wide, her flames even higher. Her face is lost in the growing inferno, her emotions feeding them.

"Two DAYS! TWO DAYS! Why didn't you call me, let me know… " Her voice cracks, her anger rendering her mute. PB watches the Fire Elemental thru the screen, her violent outbursts were something she has seen before. Knowing that Flame Princess won't want to listen to reason, explaining to her the truth would do nothing but further enrage her.

"FP, listen to me." She leaves Marcy's side, returning to the pedestal. "If there is the slightest chance Finn managed to find this weapon, I need your help. You're the one who knows what it is, you're the one that will be able to help him the most." FP pants, the extra oxygen stokes her flames even higher. CB and Jake, retreat to the far side of her room. Jake cowers before the elemental, frightened by her reactions.

FP, shaking with fury, stares at the halo-pendant, lost in grief and rage. Jake whines softly, breaking thru to her. She turns, watching CB pet the shaking the frightened fire wolf. She turns back to the display, PB's face, lined with worry, was waiting. She was right… Bubblegum was right. Closing her eyes, holding back the tears that threaten to fall, she works on controlling her emotions. Slowly her flames lower, dousing themselves as her emotions rein in. If she wants to help Finn, she needs to stay calm, stay in control. _Finn, hang on_.

"I'll be at the Candy Castle as soon as I can PB."


	17. Chapter 17 - Catch Me If You Can

**((OLD SCHOOL NERD CRED ALERT! Can you spot the reference? Ah, come on... I can't be the only dice &amp; paper gamer here :} Did you spot it? Did you understand it? Did it make you ask why another villain in the series doesn't have one? LOL - But COMMENT and yell at me, wE LikE iT))**

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Chapter 17 - Catch Me If You Can

CB stares after FP as she rushes around her room. She had no idea what she might need, panic drove her. If the Whispering Blade was behind this, she wasn't sure anything would help. Every story, every tale she had found all had the same outcome. The welder of the blade dies. Her heart refuses to accept that outcome, nothing was written in stone, fate could be changed. It had to be, she wouldn't allow it otherwise.

CB approaches discarded halo-pendant, picking it up. Holding it up to the light, he looks through the crystal. She turns, the green light catching her eye. Flying over to him, she carefully pulls it from his grasp.

"CB, I will need your help." He nods, he already knew she was going to need allot of help. "I need you to stay here, to watch over things for me." She pulls on the cord attached to the pendant, increasing it so it now could fit around him. He plinks a finger against the crystal on his chest and looks up at her.

"It's because of Finn, isn't it?" She lands in front of him. He was right, it was because of Finn. If any other person in Ooo was in the same position, she wasn't sure if she would be willing to throw everything away to help them. PB's words still echo in her head, _he almost killed himself..._ Those words hurt worse than any rainstorm, they cut her to her core.

"Yes, it's because of Finn." She looks into his innocent face. He watches a single molten tear run down her cheek. "If I don't do something, anything to help... if he dies..." It psychically hurt to say the words. Her flames falter, growing weak. Drawing a breath to refuel, she continues.

"I know I said I didn't want to see him, it's true. He hurt me, but... I still care about him. If he dies... I think I might too." She looks down at her hands. She doesn't like emotions, the ups and downs were so chaotic. So painful. There was little she could but learn to control them, to live with them and not let them rule her._ It was hard, so Globbing hard_. CB nods, he knows this was painful for her. She was still torn, upset and hurt from his actions.

"I understand Princess, just don't let it affect your choices." She sniffles, nodding. "Plus, if you aren't here, your father might try something. You have an ob... oblig...obligation to your people as well as yourself." Again, he's right. She leans over and kisses his forehead, getting a smile from him in return. His clarity, his honestly was what she loved the most about the pastry man. He had become her friend, almost her brother in the months they have been in the Fire Kingdom. He was right, but if she didn't go, she would never forgive herself if something happens.

"I know, but it goes beyond Finn, CB. If the Whispering Blade is in the Candy Kingdom, or anywhere else, all of Ooo could be in grave danger. The stories tell of whole villages falling, kingdoms suffering and more. It needs to be dealt with before it can do harm." All of Ooo was in danger, her people included. If her father choose this time to try anything, she would have to deal with it after.

"That's why I need you to stay here, to watch Daddy and make sure he doesn't try anything funny. If you need to get in contact with me," she taps the pendant, "Use this. Bubblegum has several." Jake comes up behind CB, his fiery eyes watching the two most important people in its life. CB nods, saluting her and turns. Jake hops up, following the pastry man as he exits. _Grob, Glob, Gob and Grod help us all, _she thinks to herself.

Turning to scan her room once more, she gives up the idea of taking anything with her. Drawing a deep breath to rekindle her flames, she leaps up, shooting out her window. It would take her several hours to reach the Candy Kingdom, time wasn't something she had extra to spare.

* * *

Finn/Shep stood in the silence of hall, lost in thought. It had been centuries since he had been able to take a living host. Most of the fools that fell in his trap were too weak to provide much. Their souls were barely enough to feed his need. Ultimately pathetic, they deserved their punishment. Bringing up his hand, he flexes the fingers, enjoying the feeling of having flesh once more. This boy was strong, his soul powerful, more than enough to allow his possession. Curling his hand, he strikes out, punching the wall. His hand buries itself wrist deep in the material. Pulling out of the wall, only minor scratches mar the skin.

As much as his desire to spread havoc burns within, he has a more pressing need to deal with. Turning, he scans the corridor. He has some access to the boy's memories, but they are confusing. Childish. This wasn't a grown being he quickly realizes, the word boy is more than fitting. Slowly he walks forward, taking care to be silent. He can hear noises, distant sounds of other creatures moving about the place. He needs to get out of here, to recover his phylactory. Without it, the longer he wore this host, the weaker his control over it would become.

Footsteps cause him to pull suddenly into an archway, pushing back into the shadows. Standing still, he watches as two tall yellow figures march by, oblivious to his presence. They continue, rounding the next corner, not realizing how close to their demise they had passed. Waiting till the footsteps fade, he thinks of his plan. His hard won plan, changed in a brief second. It wasn't the first time in his history, outside influences tried to alter or stop his plans. This time, he was highly annoyed, angry even.

The main reason he took control of this body was to prevent inference from that other relic. It had taken the longest time to slowly draw the boy's soul away from the other entity. It had bonded with the human, but it relied on the boy's need for it to keep the bond intact. Finally after months of feeding his whispers, altering his dreams and offering him false hope, he was pushed into his mental collapse. The bond between them, weakened, had broken, allowing its removal.

He had been continuing his assault on the boy's mind, tearing down the few remaining defenses. What he didn't plan on was the return of the other relic, brought back to the boy by those who cared for him. Fools, the whole lot of them. They were only fuel for his fire, they would all pay for their inference, their meddling. Pushing out of the shadows, he continues, looking for an escape route. Nothing would stop him, all those before had failed, what hope this is lot have to escape their fates.

* * *

Marceline was lost in a haze. Her mind shut down, unable to process the horror of Flame Princess's words. How could this have happened? Was it even possible? The memory of finding Finn was still fresh in her mind. Brunt into her grey matter, stuck on playback. Finn, bloody, with that blade to his throat, pressing the point thru is fragile flesh. It hurt, tore at her soul.

Suddenly pain flares, she blinks, her red eyes focus on a pink face before her. Her face hurt, she tastes cooper on her tongue. Reaching up to rub her cheek, she leans forward.

"OWwww...That hurt, PB." Bubblegum lowers her hand, glad her slap worked. Her fingers were tingly from the force, but she was afraid Marceline was in shock. Standing up, she offers a hand to the vampire, pulling her to her feet.

"Sorry Marcy, but I need your help." Still rubbing her face, the vampire nods. Violence wasn't something she liked to use, but at times it was necessary. She turns, looking over at Finn's brother. He was still standing by the table, now wringing his paws, but he doesn't look like he was in the same form of shock Marceline was. She reaches over and catches his paws.

"Jake, you alright?" He nods, taking a deep breath. She smiles at him, glad he was holding together. There was little time to waste, Finn needs them now.

"Alright, first things first. You two go get Finn, I don't want him left alone." Marcy raises an eyebrow, but keeps her question in check. "Flame Princess should be here in less than two hours, maybe less." She starts toward the door.

"Ok, but what are you going to do?" Marcy asks, floating behind her. PB turns, holding the door open for them. Once in the hallways, she turns, walking backwards so she could talk to them.

"I'm gonna see if I can find ANY information on this Whispering Blade. If this is what had caused all of this, we have to hope there is a way to fix it." Jake nods, stretching his hand up to grab Marcy's.

"Come on, time to move." He drags the floating vampire with him.

* * *

Finn opens his eyes, finding himself in the darkness. Confusion grips him as he tries to piece together what had happened. He was sitting down, his back against the invisible window to the real world. Everything was still, silent. The only sound he heard was his own breathing. Then he remembers, becoming trapped in this place, after trying to grab his Grass Sword. That deep booming voice that said he belonged to him... "Him who?" he whispers, not wanting to break the silence.

Rather, not wanting to attract the attention of the other voices. Shuttering, he remembers the whispering words they spoke. So many different voices, all crying out to him, pleading, begging. They sounded so full of fear, of hopelessness and despair. The sounds had overwhelmed him, his mind shut down to escape their cries. Now quiet, he turns to glance out the window. The picture was different, he was standing in some hall, probably within the Candy Castle. Anger stirs within him, _What the math?_

Memories drift back to him, the past few months seem like a dream. All the torment, the heartache, the sorrow. Those whispers... they spoke to him, in his head, in his dreams. They felt so familiar, but they also stirred a deep fear within him. They told him crazy things, strange stories and half truths. Told him no one cared, no one wanted him, they used him. He ignored them in the beginning, but the longer it went on, the louder they became. Then when they started showing him twisted versions of his memories, he started to believe them. How could he not? They showed him his stupidity, his ignorance and nativity.

"Am I insane? Is this what happens when you lose your mind?" Closing his eyes, a vision forms before him. He was standing in his bedroom, surrounded by the broken remains of his photos. In his hand was the silver dagger he found, the edge glinting in the dark. It was strange, watching himself from outside his body, but before he can dwell on it to long, he watches himself moving. He brings down the blade against himself, slashing open his skin. _What the heck?_ Over and over, he watches in mounting horror as the other Finn mutilates himself. Then the whispers start. They swirl around, speaking but not to him. Rather they were crying out, like they did when he got here. Warning him? As suddenly as the memory started, it dissipates, leaving him gasping for breath, struggling to think.

_What the hell was I thinking?_ He forces himself to stand, once again taking in the limited scope of his prison. Featureless and barren blackness, nothing visible to define the edges. He stood upon a floor he couldn't see, the only light was the view from the suddenly out, he strikes the invisible surface of the window again. Pain flares up his arm when he connects, but nothing else happens. Or did it? The picture in the window changes, he watches his body stumble, using a hand to brace itself against the wall. He looks from his fist to the window, did he cause himself to trip? He draws back to strike again, but something stops him. A feeling, not the creeping dread he associates with the entity controlling him, something different.

Lowering his fist, turning, looking around the darkness. Something was there, he could feel it.

"Hello?" His voice echoes flatly back at him. For several minutes nothing replies, but then a sound floats to his ears. Faintly a voice, replies, but the words aren't spoken loud enough to hear. It repeats, growing louder every second.

_...it is not all... your ... fault..._

"Who are you?" He blinks, spinning round, trying to locate the source of the new voice.

_...he is... the enemy... never your... friend..._

"He? Who are you talking about" I don't..." He shouts, walking out into the darkness. Before him a pinpoint of light forms, floating down and hovering before his face. There is no sound, but the light pulses softly.

_...trapped... you... tricked you... like me... like us all..._

He reaches out toward the mote. It flashes brightly, causing him to pull back, but now finds himself surrounded by similar small points of light. They hover around him, drifting like stars in the darkness. He turns back to the original light, which draws closer. It floats up and touches his forehead, sinking in to his skin. A vision flashes before his eyes.

A small creature, covered in long whitish fur. It's digging through snow, using a wooden spear to crack the ice before it. The white wall crumbles, spilling the creature inside to some type of cave. Tumbling down it comes to a stop by a pile of icy rocks. Recovering slowly, it sits up. It pulls off a hood, exposing a face of a young female. She looks almost human, but her skin was pale blue, her eyes overly large and yellow. She pulls herself to her feet, still clutching her spear.

Walking around, it becomes clear the cave is full of bones. Piles of them, different sizes and shapes. They are everywhere, including in the frozen walls. The figure walks over to a pile, using her spear to move some of the bones. Reaching down, she pulls something up. A thin silver knife, which catches the weak light on its edge.

_...trapped me... tricked me..._

The figure tucks the knife into her clothes, turning and scampers back up to the hole it made into the cave. White snow blinds the view, but then it clears, she's inside a hut. Gathered around her are several of the same creatures, young and old, male and female. She's holding up the sliver blade as the others cringe in fear. An old man comes over to her, pointing at the blade with his spear. Words between the two and suddenly the older one hits the girl, knocking her to the ground. She lands hard, leering up at the old man, who points to the door. She crawls to her feet, waving the knife at the old man. He doesn't move, continuing to point at the door. The girl looks over the group, still cowering and turns, making her way to the door. White snow washes away the world.

_...it spins lies... half truths... turns you against those you love..._

The girl is sitting in the dark, hugging the blade, rocking slowly. Her white furs are splashed in red, surrounding her are several bodies. Something moves, the old man from before, now with several others appear. They are all armed. The old one points at her, she screams, jumping to her feet. More words, she turns and points to a large mass behind her. Some strange creature with two heads lay in a pool of blood. The old man shakes his head and points again at her, or rather the knife she clutches. The others point their spears at her. She turns and runs as they launch the spears.

_...it wants pain...chaos...to feed from your anguish... your pain..._

Again the girl is sitting in the dark, still clutching the blade. She was bleeding from several wounds, her face is streaked with tears and dirt. She holds up the silver knife, muttering softly. Then she plunges the blade into the wall beside her, burying it up to the hilt. Letting go of the hilt, she drags herself away, leaving a bloody trail.

Finn blinks as the vision fades. The mote of light hangs before his face.

"That was you?" He reaches for the mote. It dances around his fingers before floating away to join the group surrounding him. He reaches out to the motes, noticing there were more of now. More than he could ever count. Their light reflects in his blue eyes, a sea of stars. A thought occurs to him, chilling him with its implications. _Where all of these lights people who used the blade?_

_..YES.._

He shutters, overwhelmed, the word spoken by thousands of voices simultaneously. Stumbling backwards, he falls, staring up at the sea of lights. One mote drifts back down to him, dancing before his pale face.

_...not too late..._


	18. Chapter 18 - The Whispering Blade

**((background - got to love the back stories, right? Comment, let me know what you think - your ideas of what may be coming - ect / Thanks everybody :} ))**

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Chapter 18 - The Whispering Blade

Long ago, back when the multi-verse was young, Life/Existence was just starting. Across the cosmos, more and more things came into existence. Everything from planets, rocks, kittens, two-headed slime monsters and more. The place was filling up fast, using up all the free energy that was floating around. But there are rules for everything, including just existing. See, in order for something to exist, something else had to stop existing. Energy had to be freed up, there is only so much of it out there. Life/Existence quickly learned the rules.

Now, there are other forces at work, glitches, in the Cosmic Program. Some were harmless, others not so benign. One of the nastier ones was Entropy.

Entropy liked things to stop existing, but it also didn't want new things to replace those that had ceased to be. Entropy wasn't a thinking entity like a person, rather a force that existed to stop things from existing. But like an impatient lawyer, it wanted it to happen as fast as it could. Entropy's ultimate goal was to stop EVERYTHING, to return all of the multi-verse back to the state it was before Life/Existence infected it.

Since it wanted things to happen faster, being a sneaky little glitch, it spawned an offshoot, a virus. Entropy couldn't make "life" but it could make a force, something that could infect those living to spread its cause, namely the destruction of everything.

Heavy, huh?

And as to what the force was? Evil, pure and simple.

Thankfully there was a counter-force. Consider that, if Entropy was a glitch in the Cosmic Program, somewhere there something working to keep the program running. This Programmer wasn't just sitting back, letting everything run itself. It was tweaking the program, noticing the glitches. It saw what Entropy created, although technically it was within the rules. The problem stemmed from it creating an uneven shift of balance, a push that would lead to a breakdown. Breaking the Program was bad, it would end the game. For everything (including Entropy).

So if Entropy wanted to play, the field was going be level. If Entropy made a virus, the Programmer made a Anti-Virus. Thus Good came into existence.

Very few creatures in the multi-verse paid much attention to either, unless the Virus infected the plane/place/world they inhabited. Where the Virus went, the Anti-Virus followed. Sometimes one would score more than the other, but everything fell within the rules of the Cosmic Program.

So, now you are asking what in the heck does any of this have to do with our adventures in Ooo? Well, quite allot. See, even before the world of Ooo was known as that, it held many different names. But more importantly, this world was well infected with the Virus. The Anti-Virus was there too, but it was fighting a losing battle, barely able to keep the Virus in check. The inhabitants of this world weren't helping, they seemed more prone to the vises that lead to the corruption of the Virus.

A turning point had come. The inhabitants of this world turned upon themselves, starting a war to end all wars.

**The Mushroom War **_(insert scary music now)_

Things looked bleak for this world, Evil had gained the upper hand. Allot of people died, many more would have if all of those working for Good had perished. Not many survived, but all it needed was just one. Thankfully more than just one did survive, but it was going to take a long time before the damage would be repaired.

After the Mushroom war ended, the few remaining humans left alive found the land deadly, corrupted. Food was hard to find, clean water as well. The weather itself seemed to turn against them, violent storms and drastic temperature swings. Strange mutant monsters roamed the poisoned land, bringing a violent death to any caught unaware. Many of those who survived the war, died horribly in the aftermath.

One specific man survived the war, he was different than most. His name was Sheppard. Once, he would have been called a Soldier as he played a part in the War, although it was opposite of his will. He fought to protect those who couldn't, the innocent and weak. When the destruction was over, he swore to use the remains of his lost life to help those who survived. He gathered them together, taught them how to defend themselves, how to live in the twisted shell of their world. It was hard, thankless and grueling, but he dedicated his life to making sure they were safe.

No man stands alone forever. In time, he made friends and even fell in love, starting a family. Together, they kept the survivors alive. Life was decent, not the best and most definitely not as it once was. Slowly, but surely they prospered.

Time passes, it's march unstoppable and one day, this good man was betrayed. Those he had placed his faith and trust, conspired against him, their protector and friend. His closest friend laid a trap, luring him away from the safety they had made to tackle an imaginary foe. There, in the wastelands, he attacked him, planning on leaving him to die. To return with a story about the man saving him at the cost of his life. Anger filled him, at the man he called friend, who he treated as his brother. And himself for failing to see his friend as the enemy he really was.

As he lay there, bleeding, he watched in horror as the woman he loved, the mother of his son, came upon them. Fear gripped him as he thought that her death would be the last thing he watched. Stepping past him broken body, he watched as she went to kiss the one he once called friend. His heart broke at that moment, the betrayal they perpetrated on him killed the goodness in his soul. With wicked smiles across their faces, he explain to him how they lied to him, used his faith and trust to mask their activities. They had been together, secretly, for years. When he tried to talk to her, she reviled that even the child he had thought was his son, was truthfully that of his friend's. These words struck the final blow to his dying heart.

Their final act was to push this once honorable man into one of the pools of radioactive ooze that dotted the land. Unable to defend himself, he grips his trusty knife as he sinks beneath the surface. His last vision was of the two people that he had placed his faith, trust and loyalty in, embraced together in another kiss.

Sinking, his life embedding away, anger gave way to rage. Hate, pure elemental rage surges through his dying body. His heart blackens. Landing softly on the bottom of the pool, his vision darkening, he swears to whatever gods may exist, if it takes him until the end of time, he will have his revenge.

Time oblivious to everything but itself, continues on. Centuries pass until one day the very earth itself moves, shaking itself like a dog shaking water off its back. A large crack opens up, underneath a certain toxic pool, allowing the fluid to slowly seep away deeper into the ground. Soon, the liquid is gone, exposing bones and unknown objects that had littered the bottom. One skeleton lays, as if it was napping, held in one boney hand was a silver blade. Long corroded by the ooze, the ancient blade of that long dead hero has changed. It was still a weapon, but now it had purpose.

The first victim of the blade was a lonely hermit, a scavenger that picked the bones of the lake clean as it passed one day. As soon as his old hand closed around the hilt of the blade, his fate was sealed. Three weeks later, stark raving mad, he uses that same blade to end his madness, permanently. Thus he was the first of thousands that would die by this cursed weapon. Their souls, sucked into a dark void, merging with the original one that demanded vengeance.

In time, the blade grew in strength as more souls where added. It had but a single driving desire; to seek out all life, all souls, to show them the foolishness of life, their false happiness and dreams. To drive them into madness, into its waiting embrace. It was LEGION and wanted all to fall to his will, to join him in darkness.

Throughout the years, it passes hands, sowing hate, discontent, heartbreak and death. Every being who welds the blade falls to it. Every life that it ends, joins the mass, growing. Legends grow from those who escaped, not of the blade itself, but those ensnared. Others spin false tales of the glories it brought. Very few understand the danger behind the object, few ever care. Wars come and go, life trudges on.

Occasionally, some creature or being would figure out what it was, but always AFTER it had touched or used the accursed thing. Many would try to lock it away, to prevent others from using it. Others would defend it to their last breath. It always managed to escape, to find some way of resurfacing.

Its downfall came as a powerful Fire Elemental came upon some ancient texts, describing the wicked blade. Tales that spoke of great power, others that spoke of great evil. Of madness and torment. All the tales had a similar theme; as every welder became obsessed or possessed, those surrounding the person often suffered. Eventually the welder perished, often by their own hand. Realizing there are things that even Evil should be afraid of, he sought out the weapon. Several years pass as he tracks down the last few known places it had been seen or recorded. In the ruins of an ancient temple, buried in the sands of a great dessert, he found it.

Taking every precaution, he constructed a device to extract the cursed item from the ruins. Without a living entity touching the item, it couldn't extort control. For the first time since its existence, it was honestly trapped. This Elemental knew the true nature of this item. Even if turned over to an enemy, there was no promise that the havoc it would cause wouldn't return on the originator. It was simply too dangerous, too evil of an artifact to be allowed unrestricted access.

He had a specially made dungeon constructed to seal away the blade, hoping that perhaps it would stay locked away long enough to be forgotten. Sealing the dungeon, he had hidden away the only record of its location.

There the blade lay, hidden in the depths of it's prison, furious that someone had figured out its purpose. It's destiny.

But time was on its side, as it had no physical life, it could wait eons if need be. Waiting for some fool to stumble across it's tomb, freeing it once again upon the world. To feed, to wreck havoc, to seek its revenge and extinguish all life it came across.

Time was its friend... and time passed. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months and months to years. A decade, then two, and more as record of the accursed blade becomes forgotten. But when mortal minds forget, nature doesn't. The seal to the tomb breaks, the entrance stands open, waiting.

Then one day, the enviable occurs, someone stumbles upon the entrance, descending into the dungeon. The first dozen fools all perish, the traps and monsters left to guard the place do their job well. Finally someone turns up that by-passes the remaining devices and creatures. That person makes it to the end, coming upon a stone alter, holding what seems to be an innocent looking simple blade. If they could only read the runic writing below the blade, etched into the stone, they would understand that some things need to be kept hidden.

**"Behold, this is the Whispering Blade. Foe to all life, devourer of souls. All who weld this blade, die by this blade. Leave and be spared eternal torment."**

As soon as the hand of the adventurer grasps the hilt, the blade awakens. Resistance is felt, a force pushes against the soul within, but the blade stills. It has fought this battle before: Act as if dead, they will believe you are. Fight and they will strike. The human who has found it swings it experimentally, testing the balance. Happy with its new found treasure, the human tucks it in his pack, turning back the way he came.

From the darkness around the alter, whispering can be heard, a chorus of different voices, all speaking one word...

_FREEDOM..._


	19. Chapter 19 - Falling

**((back to the story, I was writing this chapter &amp; the next at the same time - you'll see. Enjoy, Comment, yell :} ))**

* * *

Chapter 19 - Falling

"Wakey, wakey, Kiddo!" Marceline shouts, bursting through the door into the ward. The space was empty except for random dust motes dancing in the sunbeams. Jake follows behind her, scanning the room.

"Yo, Finn, bro... FINN!" He shouts, running past the vampire to franticly search the rest of the room. Marcy turns to the bed Finn was sleeping on this morning. The blanket was crumpled, thrown back across the bed. Laying on the sheets was a strip of gauze, one end bloodied. Other than the discarded wrapping, there was no other sign of the human.

"Glob-nag-it..." She cusses under her breath. Remembering, she twirls to the opposite bed, spying the Grass Sword. It was where they had left it this morning, motionless. Landing, she reaches down and gingerly picks up the blade, half expecting it to bite. Jake comes running back, panting lightly.

"He's not here." He pulls up short, eyeing the blade in her grasp. "Whoa, you sure it's safe to hold that thing?" He stretches a finger up to poke at the blade, which in response, shivers down its length. Marceline nods, continuing to watch the enchanted weapon. A familiar voice speaks, confirming the fears swirling around in her head.

_***danger***_ She waves the blade, making Jake back up.

"Yeah, it's still saying there is danger." She suddenly slashes the air, the blade whistling. Other than its creepy disembodied voice, the weapon acts just like any other. Jake watches, worry clearly written across his canine face.

"Saying? What do you mean?" Marcy steps over to him, kneeling down. Before he can object, she snatches up his paw and holds it underneath hers against the hilt.

_***danger Finn*** _Jake's eye widen, his heart skipping a beat. Finn never said anything about the sword being able to communicate. He swallows in fear, but speaks up.

"Is Finn in danger..."

"Or is he the source of the danger?" Marceline finishes, shrugging and releasing his paw. Jake pulls his hand back, rubbing it, trying to calm himself. This whole event was getting stranger by the minuet, it left a horrible feeling inside his gut. _And I always trust my gut..._

"You think he went to get some grub or something?" He doesn't want to think about what the something could be. He could handle Finn having a serious case of poo-brain, but to think that some uber ancient evil thing was messing with his brother. Causing him to hurt himself or worse. That crossed the line, that made him mad. Worse than mad, it made him angry. He clenches his paws into fists, suddenly furious. Whatever this Whispering Blade was, it was aiming for a maiming. Nobody messes with his brother.

Marcy looks down at the pooch, noting the change in his stance. Anger, finally won the upper hand and he now looks pissed. Good, she thinks as she tucks the sword thru her belt. Anger was a good thing considering, it gave them focus. Now if we can figure out where to direct it.

"Not sure, but standing here won't help us find him." She floats up, aiming for the door. He grows larger to keep up as they enter the hallway. Each looking the opposite direction, they see no sign of where he may have gone. They turn toward each other, nodding, then take off in different directions. The sooner they found him, the better and two people could cover more ground.

* * *

Peppermint Butler turns the corner, whistling a nameless tune. Lost in thought, the candy person makes his way through the castle, heading toward the Princess's various labs. She had summoned him suddenly, asking him to met her as soon as he could. It did cross his mind that is was odd, as she had told him she was going to the conference room to return Flame Princess's call. All things considering, she could be doing something related to the call. _Wonder if she still thinks Flame Princess was responsible for Mister Finn's current state?_ he muses to himself.

He round another corner and draws to a stop. A figure stands in the intersection, facing away from him. It took a few seconds before he recognizes the person, the blue shorts were a clue, but the familiar white hat was missing. _Well, he must be better if he's up and about already. _As he opens his mouth to address the human, something tickles the back of his brain. Peppermint Butler was known to dabble in certain magic's, sometimes truly dark affairs, it was this part of his mind that makes him falter. Something was wrong with the boy, although by mere appearances, he was normal. A strange sense of dread creeps over him, making him swallow harshly. Not wanting to draw any closer, he clears his throat to draw the boy's attention.

"Mister Finn, good to see you up and around. Is there anythi...ng...I can..." His voice tapers out as the human slowly spins to face the candy servant. That feeling that was bugging him suddenly is screaming full warnings. He takes a half step backwards as the human faces him. There are few things in Ooo that can make Peppermint Butler afraid, standing a few feet in front of him was one of them. He doesn't know what it was, but it clearly isn't the human Finn. Finn's eyes, normally blue as the sky, are solid black. They glow faintly, reflecting a perfect mirror image of the candy man.

Panic sets in as a faint smile forms on the face of the thing before him. Without another word, he spins and tears off down the hallway at full speed. Finn/Shep watches the candy man for a second, wondering if the little fool would do anything that might hinder his escape. As Peppermint Butler gets the corner, he starts shouting, prompting Finn/Shep to take off after him.

"GUARDS!" Peppermint shouts, not daring to spare the chance to look behind. He can hear footsteps giving chase, he doesn't want to be caught by whatever that thing was. "GUARDS!" He darts suddenly right, into a different hall, still running as fast as his short legs can muster. Behind him, he can hear the other being following. _Oh dear Glob!_

* * *

Jake pushes the double doors leading to the kitchen open, stretching an eyeball out on a stalk to peer into the room. There was a candy corn cook in an apron standing before a large oven, but no other person was moving around the room. Pulling his eye back, he strolls in. The scent of fresh bread wafts from the ovens, making him drool slightly. His stomach growls, reminding him that a breakfast of a single apple wasn't what it considered a proper square meal.

"Hey, has Finn been here?" The candy corn person half turns, pulling a tray of fresh bread out of the oven. Slowly it places the tray down, using a mitted glove to slide the loaves off. Happy, it turns toward the dog, smiling.

"Finn? Nope, I thought he was in the hospital wing?" Jake frowns. The smell of the bread was distracting. He shakes his head and sighs. Food later, find Finn now.

"Glob it. If you see him," he stops, what should he tell the candy person to do? If Finn was dangerous, it might get hurt. _Double Glob It!_ His stomach growls loudly, echoing the curse. "If you see Finn, tell him to go back to bed." Stretching his paw out, he snags the closest loaf of bread. The candy corn person sneers, turning to get a large ladle but by the time it whips back, Jake has slipped out the door with his purloined loaf. Munching, he turns back down the hall, staring down the empty space. _Where would Finn go?_

* * *

Marceline floats down the hall, slipping from shadow to shadow, listening. She wasn't trying to be sneaky, but old habits die hard. _And even older vampires try even harder not to die_, she thinks, giggling softly. Scouring the lower levels, she hit every area she thought Finn would most likely visit. Coming up empty handed, it was time to try something else. Passing by a flight of stairs, she turns and heads up. With no word from Jake and no sign of Finn, it was time to regroup with Bubblegum. Maybe she had some information on what they were dealing with.

Landing silently at the top of the stairs, she looks around. Considering the years she's been around, the layout still caught her off guard. If she didn't know it, she could swear that PB changes the design of her castle.

"Probably to confuse people, keep them on their toes, knowing Bonniebell." Another giggle works its way from her. She shakes her head, ruffling her hair. _This was all just so messed up._ She floats back up, starting down the right side corridor. First Finn hurts himself, then one blade disappears, another appears and then Flame Princess drops a drama bomb. The rogue thought of what LSP would be doing with all this information teases her mind. More giggling springs forth, this time she has to drop to her feet and forcefully make herself stop.

"Ok, you have got to knock this off." She rubs her eyes. She was at an four-way intersection, one of the halls had to led to PB's labs. Lifting up, she turns to the first hall and points, "Enny, minney, miney..." A scream echoes from somewhere, cutting her off. She whips around to the route that the sound came from, starting off down the hall.

"GUARDS!" She speeds up, listening for signs of which direction the screaming was coming from.

* * *

Peppermint was getting winded, he wasn't used to long distance running. Not built for it one could say. Cutting another corner, he rockets down the hall. About midway down, a door opens and a familiar pink figure walks into the hall. _NO, no, no, no... grobbbbb it!_ He tries to add some speed, but he's already at his limit.

"PRINCESS, GO BACK INTO THE ROOM!" Bubblegum jumps. She turns toward the shout, watching in confusion, frozen at the scene playing out before her. Peppermint Butler was running down the hall with Finn hot on his heels, he opens his mouth to shout another warning, but trips, falling flat. The second or two it takes him to recover and push himself up was enough to allow Finn to catch up to him. Rearing back his leg, Finn kicks the fallen butler hard, knocking him straight into the opposite wall enough to fracture a chunk out of the candy man. Peppermint gives one strangled cry, then goes still.

She backs up a step, not believing what she just witnessed. Stunned, she raises a hand toward the candy servant, wanting to help. A sound attracts her attention, drawing her back to the figure of Finn, standing in the middle of the hall, panting. Her eyes go wide as she takes in the sight of her friend standing there. Something was wrong with him, he was acting strange. Fear grips her, promoting her to move. Spinning, she grabs the door knob, pushing it open. Shep sees her movement and darts forward, reaching out and snatching her arm, yanking her hard enough to rip the sleeve. She cries as she's pulled back, stumbling and turns to face him, only to receive a punch to her gut. Shep grabs her as she bends over from the blow and shoves her backwards into the room, dumping her on the floor. He slams the door shut, leaning against the door, listening.

PB gasps, gagging and tries to draw breath. Her head spins, the pain was amplifying her fear making her heart pound. Crawling, she manages to drag herself slowly away from Finn. Lifting her head, she watches as he backs away from the door, turning toward her. He stalks over to her causing her to cringe back, rolling over to face him. He kneels down over her, glaring into her face. She stares up into his pale face and realizes this wasn't Finn, this wasn't the boy who she cared about. Gone were his clear blue eyes, replaced by empty pools of black that reflects her frightened face back at her.

"Who... *cough*.. are you?" She asks, her fear growing as the seconds pass. Shep looks down at this abomination, this farce of a woman glaring up at him. It was easy to tell she was terrified, she knew this boy well enough to realize it wasn't him before her. Shep had the boy's memories of her, knew she was smart enough to figure out he wasn't who he appeared to be. The memory of how he cares for this female, how she has spurned his advances, as childish as they were, gave him an idea.

A wicked smile spreads across his face causing her to cringe further back. She knew she was in danger, this wasn't Finn, who knew what he was capable of doing. If Flame Princess's warning about the Whispering Blade was true, her life was in grave danger. He reaches down to her and she lashes out with her leg, connecting against his knee. Crying out, he falls backward, his leg twisted out beneath him by her kick. She rolls, scrabbling to her feet. Managing to get up, she struggles to move, still sore from the punch. She had to get away, escape and notify her guards. The memory of Peps shouting at her to run flashes before her, distracting her. Was he alive?

Shep grabs his knee, the blow she landed caught him by surprise. The pain was minor, it was more of the shock of her fighting back that caught him off guard. Didn't matter, let her fight, it was more exciting to watch his prey struggle. Recovering, he sits up to see she has gotten to her feet, but wasn't moving fast. The punch he delivered earlier must have done more damaged then he expected. Rising, he lunges after her, grabbing a fist full of her hair. She screams, reaching up to grip his hands. He rips her head back, but instead of pulling her backwards, the chunk of hair tears away. She falls forward, still struggling to escape. She gets a few steps before Shep dives at her, wrapping both arms around her lower legs. They fall, she fails to get her hands up to brace herself, her head smacks hard against the floor. He feels her go limp, either stunned or knocked unconscious.

He releases his hold on her legs, grabbing her and flipping her on her back. Her eyes were closed, a gash on her forehead was weeping dark pink fluid. Crawling, he pulls himself up her and straddles her waist, glaring down at the defenseless woman. _Oh, what torment can I inflict on this creature?_

* * *

A scream splits the air, making Jake jump. Turning toward the source of the sound, he lopes down the hall on all fours. Turning the corner, he spies four Banana Guards running toward him. They catch up with him, the lead one panting slightly.

"Did... you scream?" Jake shakes his head, wondering why the guard was so out of breath. The Banana man groans, then motions to the others. As one, they turn, but Jake raises a hand, growing it large enough block their progress.

"What's going on? Who's screaming?" The lead Banana Guard shrugs, pointing his spear down the hall.

"Don't know, someone was crying for the guards, but I think they were running. We can't find them." Jake rolls his eyes, the Guards aren't the brightest, but he has a feeling the castle wasn't helping.

"PB has been playing with the castle floor plan again?" He asks, already knowing the answer. The guard in the back of the group, nods, frowning. He sighs, why does everything seem to be stacked against them. Shrinking his hand down, he waves them to follow him. Falling in formation behind the dog, they march off.

Several twists and turns later, Jake spies a dark shape pass rapidly through the intersection before them.

"MARCELINE!" The shout makes the vampire flip head-over-heels in the air, shooting back down the hall to the intersection. As she arrives, Jake and the Banana Guards arrive, all of them slightly out of breath.

"Do you... know... what is going on?" Jake asks, struggling to get his breath. Marcy shakes her head, turning back to the hall she was flying down.

"Don't know, but we are going to find out. Come on, it came from this way." She flies off, leaving the tired group to scramble after her.


	20. Chapter 20 - Resistance

_**Minor re-write - just added a few parts, ch 21 will up soon - still writing.**_

**((Song Fic Alert - the first part should be read while listening to Five Finger Death Punch, "My Own Hell" - the lyrics are in bold {here is a youtube video = http / www youtube com / watch?v=aeZ6F4FERTk )) add "." and remove extra spaces - I still can't get HTML links to work right.**

* * *

Chapter 20 - Resistance

**Twisting and turning unable to sleep - DO THE VOICES EVER STOP  
My thoughts speak louder the more I resist - AND THEY'RE DRIVING ME INSANE  
DO THEY EVER GO**

Finn looks at the light motes, dancing before his eyes. _Not too late for what?_ One floats back down to his face, flaring as it comes to a stop before his nose. It bobs, beckoning him. Slowly he stumbles back to his feet. The mote keeps pace with him, leading him. Upright, more drop down, circling around him. He watches, curious as to what they were doing. Softly at first, then increasing slowly he realizes he can hear them again. All of them, thousands of voices, all speaking together.

_... don't give in..._

_... fight... _

_... stop him..._

**Inside I'm a danger to myself - IM A DANGER TO MYSELF  
Inside I'm a prisoner of my own hell - MY OWN HELL**

The voices are now thundering inside his skull. Screaming, he grabs his temples, squeezing his eyes shut. The pressure builds as the sound grows louder, more insistent, more demanding. He drops to his knees, falling forward to rest his forehead against the ground, shaking. The motes are swirling around him faster, blurring, becoming a circle of light surrounding him.

_... resist..._

_... reject..._

_... fight him... fight him...FIGHT HIM..._

**Losing the battle I've waged on myself - LOCK ME UP AND TOSS THE KEY  
Toys in the attic it's all getting worse - WHY WONT THEY LET ME BE OH GOD MAKE IT STOP**

"HOW? HOW DO I FIGHT HIM?!" He screams. Just as his skull feels as its about to rupture, the voices stop. The silence as deafening as the voices had been. Seconds pass as he breathes through clenched teeth, waiting for the assault to continue. When the pain doesn't return, the voices don't speak, he pushes himself up and opens his eyes. The motes, still spinning around him appear as a halo of light. Abruptly they halt, stopping before him. The mote is now the same size as he, a giant globe of light. It hangs there, pulsing faintly. Shakily, his rises and waits, not sure what was about to happen.

**Inside I'm a danger to myself - IM A DANGER TO MYSELF  
Inside I'm a prisoner of my own hell - MY OWN HELL  
**

The globe of light drifts slowly to the side, he turns to keep facing it. Together they make it back to the window. It hovers beside the invisible portal and flashes. Not understanding what it wants, Finn walks toward the window, placing a hand against it. It lights up and his breath catches in his throat. He's looking out at Bubblegum, flat out the floor. Her shirt was torn at the shoulder, there's a cut on her forehead oozing dark pink blood. Her eyes are closed and she seems to be unconscious. The thing that was controlling his body was straddling her, his hand out-stretched toward her ripped shirt. What was it planning?

**FIT ME FOR A STRAIT JACKET - PUT ME IN A PADDED CELL  
I'M A DANGER TO YOU ALL  
And I'm a danger to myself  
**

"NO! Leave her alone! STOP!" He pounds both fists against the invisible surface, making ripples. The globe pulses brighter, blinding. Finn falls back, unsure if the light will attack him. Flashing once more, the globe flies forward, striking the window. Large ripples spread across the surface, disrupting the view, but not enough that Finn doesn't see that the monster's hand has stopped.

**Inside I'm a danger to myself - IM A DANGER TO MYSELF  
Inside I'm a prisoner of my own hell - MY OWN HELL**

Finn looks at his fists, then back to the window. He made the thing flinch before, the light made it do it again. If he can do enough damage to it, maybe he can stop it from hurting PB. Roaring, he rushes forward, body slamming the surface. It bounces him off, but he manages to keep his footing. Jumping back, he slams both hands into the surface. Again and again he strikes, attacking the invisible surface with every ounce of anger and rage he can summon, crying out with every blow. He couldn't let this thing hurt his friends, his family, those he loves. The globe backs away from the boy, lining itself up behind him. The view on the window is different, the monster 's hand is shaking, but has gone no closer to her.

**Inside I'm a danger to myself - IM A DANGER TO MYSELF  
Inside I'm a prisoner of my own hell  
MY OWN HELL**

Drawing back several steps, Finn screams and rushes forward. The globe slams forward, joining up with him and together they slam the window with enough force that the ripples obscure the view completely. Finn is thrown backward with some force and lands hard, knocking the wind from him. A loud crack echoes throughout the area. Finn, panting to catch his breath, looks up at the window to see a large crack running down the surface. The view on the window shows the monster lying on the floor, rolling around.

"Stay off her bastard." Finn growls, waiting to see what it would do next.

* * *

Finn/Shep reaches down toward the female's shoulder, it would be so easy to take what the boy wanted. The memories from this boy spoke of longing. He had a crush on her, he honestly cared deeply for this repulsive thing that was pretending to be a person. The boy loved her, but Shep could feel the rejection, the heartache she returned to the boy. She used his affection, twisted him around her finger to get what she wanted. _Oh, what an age old trick?_

Her shirt and jacket were torn, reliving the pink skin underneath. It would be so easy to give this foolish boy what he wants, what the boy felt he should deserved. Shep knew the pain it would inflict upon both of them. The childish boy would know what _he_ had done, even if he couldn't comprehend the full meaning. The female would blame the child, hate him, perhaps even punish him, never the wiser to what really happened to either of them. The smile on his face grows wider; evil in the hearts of men have always taken what they have wanted since the beginning of time. Why not let this child relish in what she would never let him have willingly?

His fingers dipped lower, only stopping as pain flares behind his eyes, sharp and stabbing. He blinks, caught off guard by the sensation. It has been eons since he can recall the last time he felt true pain. Not something as mundane as physical pain, this came from somewhere deeper. Shaking his head, he eyes the unconscious form pinned beneath him. She couldn't be causing it, even if she was awake. His vision dims as the pain rolls through his skull again, this time forcing a groan from him. This body's stomach turns, his skull throbs. How ... the child? There should be no way he could do anything, just watch his world torn to shreds by his own hands. Impossible, no one has been able to ... thought is torn from him as another explosion blossoms in his head.

Bellowing in pain, he falls off the candy woman to the floor, grabbing his skull. Lying on the floor, he writhes around, blinded by the overwhelming pain. Seconds pass and suddenly he goes limp, his black eyes staring blankly ahead. They have lost their glow, but instead of the lab tables before him, a mirror image of his face seems to be staring out of them.

Peppermint Butler comes too in pain. Flashes of memory return to him, leaving him dazed. He was fleeing some horrible evil, running... then poor Bubblegum... _BUBBLEGUM!_ His eyes pop open, confused for a brief moment as he sees the world in two different directions. Weakly, he manages to sit up, the world titling crazily. He looks down at himself, finally figuring out why. A large chunk of himself has been broken off, taking his right arm and eye with it. He concentrates on what he was seeing, slowly panning till he sees himself looking at himself. He tries to move, reaching for his missing section and falls over, groaning. He scans the floor, looking down his torso to realize that both of his candy legs are shattered. He wasn't going anywhere, anytime soon.

Panic tries to overtake him, if that thing which was pretending to be Finn got to Princess Bubblegum, he doesn't want to consider the horror. Taking a few deep breaths, he readies himself to try move as a sound makes him freeze. Several sets of footsteps are heading toward him, the labored breathing of many people. Forcing himself upright, he waits, hoping help wasn't too late.

Marceline shoots up the hall, Jake and the guards hot on her tail. It had been quiet for several minutes making her uneasy. Something bad was happening, but where and what, she had no clue. They had finally come to the section where Bubblegum's labs where located. Scanning the hall, something catches her eye. Up ahead a dark blue shape was lying against the wall, moving around. Slowing down, she holds out her arms, signaling those behind her to stay quiet. Creeping closer, the shape becomes clear as it sits up and stares at them.

"Holy ..." The words die on Jake's lips as he makes out the details of the candy man. He was injured, cracked in several pieces. Marceline drops down to the little candy man, placing a hand on the top of his head near the crack.

"Peps, what happened?" He opens his mouth to speak, but the cracks split his mouth. The sounds he makes aren't recognizable as words. "Shush, quiet." She turns to one of the guards.

"Go get Doctor Ice Cream." The Banana Guard snaps a quick salute then jogs off. Peppermint Butler grabs Marcy's wrist, making her face him. He lets go and points down the hall. She turns to face the direction, then back to him. He mumbles something, pointing animatedly down the hall. She looks back, trying to line up where he was pointing. Several doors line the hall, all of them closed. Nothing looks out of place, but she feels something. A sense of despair, of something lurking, then it hits her. It was the same feeling she got while inside the treehouse. A shutter dances across her, whatever was hiding there is now here. She turns back to Peppermint, catching his good eye.

"It's down there, isn't it?" He nods, wobbling slightly. Jake reaches over to steady him, looking past Mary down the hall. Nearly a dozen doors line the walls, all of them leading to various labs and workshops. Whatever had attacked him was probably hiding in one of those rooms. Turning toward the remaining Banana guards, he lowers is voice to address them.

"Spread out, don't let anything get back down this way." The guards salute, spreading themselves across the hall. As one, they flip their spears down, holding them at the ready. Jake and Marcy meet each other's gaze, nodding once and rise.

Shep snaps awake, thrashing around the floor for a brief second. The boy's heart was hammering away, his lungs working overtime. Panic gives way to reason and he stills. The pain that rendered him unconscious was gone, leaving a dull ache behind his eyes. There should have been no possible way the boy should have been able to hurt him. _But he did, how?_ he growls to himself. With a groan, he pushes himself upright. He had been overconfident, assuming that the little human would be easy prey, even considering the strength of his soul. It had been centuries since he made a stupid mistake like this. The frailties of flesh, the price of possession, it was more than he remembered. Or maybe it was the fact he hadn't fed from anyone but the boy in such a long time. Either way, it wasn't a miscalculation he would make again.

Looking around, he comes to the conclusion that he was still in the room he had fled into earlier. A soft moan makes him spin around, ready to attack. The strange woman was still on the ground, unconscious. Another groan drifts from her as she starts to move weakly. Pulling himself to his feet, he evaluates his options. Time was of the essence and for once, it wasn't on his side. He needs to escape, to get to his phylactory. That has always been the first priority, the most important piece of his plan. Being away from it was what probably allowed the boy a chance to harm him. Without it, he couldn't consume the souls he drew his strength from.

Between his imprisonment and the lack of feeding, he was weak, hunger blinding his intellect. The strange woman should have been easy prey. Even now, she was defenseless, but at this point and time, he had no way of feeding from her. _I'm making stupid rookie mistakes and it's gonna to_ ... he let the last thought die before it finishes. Those thoughts belonged to another person, long dead and gone. Any miscalculation he made would be corrected, he could not fail.

Walking across the room, he steps over the prone figure, coming to a stop before the door. Leaning against the surface, he presses his ear against the material, listening. No sounds greet his ears, either the material of the door was muffling the sounds or, more likely, no one knew of his attack. Either way, he couldn't stay here. Gripping the door knob, he slowly twists it, gently pushing the door open.

In the hall, a door starts to open. Marceline and Jake freeze, both thankful the door was opening opposite from them. If they were lucky, they would be able to react first, gaining the upper hand. Marcy draws the Grass Sword from her belt, taking care to stay as silent as she could. Jake slowly expands, growing three-times his normal size, his fists growing even larger. Both crouch, hopefully ready for whatever horror emerges.

A leg walks past the edge of the door, joined by another and to their amazement, the familiar figure of Finn stands in the hall before him, looking away from them. Even though Jake knows that something bad is happening, he's overly surprised to see his brother. Before thinking, he calls out.

"Finn?!" He shouts, shrinking down some. Marcy reaches over to grab him, clamping her free hand over his mouth, but it was too late. Finn/Shep whips around at the sound, eyeing them. Marcy's grip on Jake slacks as she realizes this wasn't Finn. Something was very wrong, those feelings from before grow stronger as she examines her friend. Another shiver down tiptoes down her spine as she fixes on his face. _His eyes..._ she thinks staring into the twin dark pools that replace Finn's normally blue orbs. Hatred was something that rarely crossed the human's face, but Marcy found herself staring at a strangers mask dripping with the emotion.

Shep stands there, taking in the view before him. Again, another foolish mistake, where was his years of training? The mental attack was alarming, but walking into a ambush, stupid..._**ENOUGH**_, he roars to himself. Before him is a raven haired pale woman, her hand clamped over the mouth of a oversized yellow animal. Behind them, three of those yellow creatures from before stand, armed with spears. As the woman draws a weapon, anger suddenly rises like the tide within him. Fate must be enjoying toying with him, as the woman holds the very relic that thwarted his carefully laid plans.

Marcy looks down at the sword in her hand, it was writhing, thrashing violently enough it almost leaps from her grasp. She looks up at Finn and realizes the danger wasn't _to_ Finn. Her rage rises within, pushing away the fear that was lurking inside. This thing standing before her wasn't her friend, it was the cause of all this mess.

_***DANGER!***_ The voice explodes in her head, making her wince slightly. Grabbing Jake's face, she pulls him roughly behind her, bringing the sword up to point at the fake Finn. She opens her mouth to address him as he spins around, taking off down the hall. Without a second thought, she leaps after him, taking to the air, leading with the Grass Sword.

Jake, sits on the floor in shock. His eyes tell him that was his brother, but his heart, his guts told him he needed to be utterly afraid of the figure standing there. Before he can react, the figure of his brother turns and bolts away, Marcy giving chase. Her suddenly and rapid departure snaps from his stupor. Jumping to his feet, he twists around to address the guards behind him.

"You!" The first one snaps to attention. "Go get more guards." The guard speaks no words, just salutes and runs off. "You two stay here and guard Pep But, I'm going after them." They also salute, shifting to stand on either side of the fallen candy man. Jake twists back around, starting forward. As he passes the open door, a sound catches his attention. He turns, still moving forward, looking inside the doorway. His mouth drops open, his upper body coming to a stop, his lower body still walking forward.

"OH MY GLOB! Bubblegum!" He stretches to the door frame, pulling the rest of him forward into the room. Inside, Princess Bubblegum was standing, wobbling slightly. One hand was pressed against a gash on her forehead, the other wrapped around her abdomen. She was woozy, dazed and barely conscious. Jake was at her side within seconds, stretching up to catch her as she falls backwards. He lowers her down, forming into a seat. She gazes at him, her eyes unfocused.

"Jake... that... you?" She whispers, the best she wants to try with the pounding in her skull. _I've probably have a concussion_, she blinks trying to keep herself focused.

"What happened? Did... did... Finn do this to you?" He whines, not wanting to believe his own words. She nods weakly, wincing with the movement. He whines again, she reaches out a hand to his face.

"But it wasn't Finn... not..." Jake swallows, his guts are always right. She tries to rise, but he pushes her back into his folds with a paw. "Nope, you stay. Marcy is taking care of that imposter." PB looks into his face, she looks like she was about to pass out. Growing several little legs underneath him, he starts out of the room, looking like a furry yellow centipede. Outside in the hall, Doctor Ice Cream is kneeling down by the injured Peppermint Butler. Several more Banana guards stand around, talking with each other. Two candy nurses show up with a stretcher as the doctor picks up the candy man, cradling his broken body. As he lowers him down, Pep But sees Jake with his detached eye, groaning. He lifts his arm, pointing at them. Doctor Ice Cream turns to follow, jumping at the sight of Jake and Princess Bubblegum.

"Oh my, Princess, are you alright?" Rushing over, he helps her to her feet, allowing Jake to re-shape back to normal. She nods, almost falling. Both Jake and the doctor grab her arms.

"I'll be find... just need to..." She tries to explain, struggling vainly against them.

"No, you're not ok, Pebbles. Go with the Doctor, leave me and Marcy to catch Finn." She leans over toward his face, focusing on him. He was right, but she was afraid that they may hurt him. She knows that inside it wasn't Finn, she was worried that is was him on the outside.

"Don't hurt him. It is and isn't Finn." Jake eyes her, trying to figure out if she meant her words or was it her head injury speaking. Her eyes tear up, silently pleading. Jake sighs but nods, letting go of her arm. The Doctor leads her away, another candy nurse rushing over to take her other arm. She twists around, trying to keep her eyes locked with Jake.

"It's him... on the outside, Jake." Jake swallows again, this just got a whole lot harder.

* * *

Flame Princess takes another deep breath, surging forward. Her guts felt tangled, her emotions tore her into many directions at once. She was angry, almost enraged. _How dare Bubblegum not tell her Finn was hurt!_ Her rage fuels her flames, growing brighter for a few seconds. As much as they hurt each other, she still cared about him. He was her friend. Or at least she hoped he was. Yes, he hurt her. But, she didn't handle things much better than he did. They are both young, she just was more volatile than he.

_Why didn't she call me?_ That bothered her as much as not being told.

"Because she didn't want you rushing out there, ready to burn the place to ashes." she whispers, her words erased by the wind flowing around her. She exhales, her flames lowering slightly and slowing down. Bubblegum better than most knew what kind of havoc she could cause, without even trying. Her emotions prompted her to cause destruction before. Sadness stirs in her chest, her flames lower more. She dips lower, barely above the tops of the forest rushing below her.

_How much of this was my fault? I should have called Bubblegum when I learned about the blade._ She dips lower still, brushing the top of a tree, igniting the sparse leaves. Realizing what she did, she draws another deep breath. Refueled once more, her flames pull her higher.

_But I didn't... I was too afraid PB wouldn't understand or worse, lecture me on wasting her time._ Anger ebbs inside her again. It would have taken time to explain or convince the candy monarch to listen. Time that apparently they never had. _Even when I found the map, I could have prevented some of this._ That was over two days ago, before Finn... Bubblegum's words sting like water at her heart_...he used to hurt himself..._

"Damn it Finn, why do you have to like dungeons so Grobbing much." Fear and anger battle insider her, feeding her flames. Speeding forward, she dips lower again, this time not caring if she caught anything on fire. The forest finally ends beneath her, opening to a grassy plain. On the horizon, distant shapes start to form. The central spire of the Candy Kingdom's Castle, surrounded by the rounded globes of the Guardians.

The sight should have brought some peace to her warring emotions, but all it did was feed her fear. It felt like a rock in her guts, growing and weighing her down. Even after she got there, what could they do? If Finn found the Whispering Blade, how could they break the curse without...him dying. Just thinking the words, the impactions behind them. Could they free him from it? None of the tales she read offered any clues, every one of them ended the same way. The welder of the blade dies.

Refusing to let the tears she felt slow her down, she draws another deep breath, adding more speed. She couldn't get rid of the dreadful feeling that she was too late to save him.


	21. Chapter 21 - Flight

**((Alright, here is the past due chapter. It's not as proofed as I would like. Proofed &amp; reposted. Yes, I know, life gets in the way everybody. Sorry it took me so long, plus I wanted more, but several people have been asking me to post. I split it into 2 chapters - the next one will come sometime next week [hopefully - baring work requirements] . As always, COMMENTS, suggestions, glaring grammar screw-ups, whatever - I want to know what people think :} Thanks everyone! ))**

* * *

Chapter 21 - Flight

Shep ran, fear didn't drive him, rather rage did. Rage at the fools who dared to interrupt his plans, but also at himself. His carefully laid plans were crumbling around him and it was his arrogance, his stupidly. It was a new sensation, knowing that he made a mistake... no, a _miscalculation_. He comes out into an intersection and darts to the left. A mistake requires one to admit they were wrong, he wasn't, he just underestimated his opponents. Perhaps it was the long imprisonment, the years locked away had left him weakened. Maybe it was the act of wearing flesh again after the centuries of non-existence. Couple that with the decision to possess the boy without his phylactory nearby, another _miscalculation, _and his well laid plans were crumbling around him.

How many times before has he played this game, danced through these moves. It was an old habit, something ingrained into his very existence. Something was effecting his plans, changing his path and disturbing his order. Was it the boy? His soul was powerful for one so young, even if the fool hadn't been the one to free him, he would have been drawn to him. Many of the mortals who had found his form perished long before now, some lasting a few weeks, very few last months. _What set this boy apart from the others?_

The other relic.

The first time he felt it, the boy had come home with the strange creature he lived with. Although not psychically on the boy's person, he had felt the presence of something else. He would have brushed it aside as trivial if it wasn't for the fact that he fe_lt_ it push against his control of the child. Considering his existence at that time was not in the psychical realm, this was a disturbing effect. He didn't realize the true nature of that other force until one night the child returned, injured to the empty house, upset and angry. It was the perfect opportunity to call out to him, offer him the sweet relief he had tricked the human into believing would help. As the child reached his hiding place, fingers touching the smooth surface of the blade, he felt something strike out. The force struck his incorporeal self, his true form. It caused no harm, but it was distracting enough that his illusion over the child faltered. He boy was able to shrug off his illusions, turning away to crawl up on his bed, collapsing with exhaustion.

This was the first of many times it had thwarted his plans. Several times over following weeks, it sought to distract my concentration when I was attempting to influence the child. It was never more than a distraction, but it was succeeding at its job. Fortunately I had an ace up my preverbal sleeve, I had months with the child over its few weeks. One fact kept it dangerous to my plans, it was psychically kept on the child, thus able to bond with the mortal. I had convinced the fool to keep me hidden, his own secret. To do his deeds in privacy and keep it hidden from those around him.

This wasn't the first time I had encountered another force that attempted to prevent me from controlling a mortal. Once I realized what it was trying to do, I redoubled my efforts, twisting his dreams and emotions. He returned to his _friend_, falling to my desires, my needs. In the end, I was able to manipulate him, to feed him the words that broke his soul, body and mind. It was his mental breakdown that allowed the other force to be ejected, it needed the boy's desire to stay bonded. He had none, so it was simple enough to shove back like it had so many times against me. When the child pulled off his shirt that fateful night, the sword slipped off with it.

Combined with the boy, they made a powerful pair. The child was strong before he found the other weapon, even under his influence, the relic amplified something within the human. Separated, they were weakened, but apparently not enough. For the briefest of seconds, a thought crosses his mind. _Could this child destroy him?_

**_NO_**, nothing, not even the cold embrace of Death stopped him. No simple human child could do such a feat, no matter how powerful. He was LEGION, his will was stronger. Countless others fell to his desires, obeyed his commands. Gritting his teeth, he pushes the boy's body faster. Escape, recoup and return. There will be no more mistakes.

* * *

Banana Bob trudges forward, kicking a small candy pebble down the hall. Keeping step with his partner, Banana Bobb watches the other guard kick the stone too hard, shattering it against the wall. The pair of Banana Guards had been assigned several halls within the Castle to guard over, with strict orders to keep eye out for Finn the Human. Bob was annoyed. Their orders confused him, but as he was sworn to follow them, he obeyed. He wasn't the deepest thinker, but he didn't understanding why. _Finn was the good guy, the Princess's Hero. Wonder what he did?_

Banana Bobb wasn't much better, it kinda felt wrong to him to be searching for the Hero of Ooo like a common criminal. No one had explained much to any of the Guards, they just bark out orders. We have feelings, that's why we replaced the robot guards, but few listened. Bobb figures, few truly care, even fellow Banana Guards. Protect the Candy Citizens, protect the Princess, and do as you're ordered.

Bob glowers down at the broken pebble, lifting his spear then dropping on the largest piece, reducing it to powder. Bobb sighs, they had been enjoying a quiet day in a video game championship until Root Beer Guy came rushing into the Guard Room, shouting orders. Everything turned to chaos, everybody was rushing around like this was a super big deal. Sighing again, he pulls up short, turning to Bob, who follows suit. The two Banana Guards eye each other.

"I still don't understand why we are looking for Finn." Bobb starts, leaning against his spear. Bob shrugs.

"Don't know. Wonder what he did?" Bobb thinks, it had to be something pretty major. The Princess considered Finn the Hero of Ooo, if they were to capture him, it must have been really bad. Like someone is hurt, bad. He gulps, causing the other guard to stare at him.

"You think he hurt someone?" Bob mulls it over, that would be nasty enough to have the Princess turn the Guards against Finn. To put the whole castle on high alert even, but why would Finn do something like that? He was the good guy, right?

"I don't know. Hope not." He stands back up, stretching. A thought had occurs to him, as his face gets a look of worry. Bobb tilts his head, wondering what could cause his normally happy friend to frown.

"If Finn has done something bad, are we gonna be able to stop him?" The two Guards stare wide eyed at each other, the ramifications of his statement shock them both. Finn was an adventurer, the Hero guy, often taking down bad guys that would wipe the floor with either of them. He could overpower them without even trying. Suddenly their orders take a darker turn, something serious could be happening in the Castle. Before either of them could say another word, a sound distracts both of them.

Bobb, turning slightly faster than Bob, manages to open his mouth before a figure barrels into Bob, knocking over the guard. He stumbles back, bumping against the wall, stunned, his spear clattering to the floor. Bob in the mean time is bowled over, his head smacking hard against the floor. He tries to push against whatever hit into him, but a rough punch to his face drains the fight from him. Groaning, he struggles to block as more punches rain down. Blackness floods over his vision.

* * *

Slowing down, Shep hugs the wall near the next intersection. Two distinct voices are coming from the area. Kneeling, he leans over, peaking around the corner. Two of the yellow creatures he's seen earlier are standing in the middle of the hall, chatting. They each were armed with spears, one was leaning heavily against his. It occurs to him that these things could be guards, this would be the third set he's seen. Closing his eyes, he sifts through the boy's memories, looking for information.

"If Finn has done something bad, are we gonna be able to stop him?" One of them speaks up as Shep opens his black eyes. These creatures were something called Banana Guards, harmless cattle that were supposed to protect the citizens of this kingdom. From what he gleaned, they were effectively useless, more of a bother than anything he should concern himself over. The biggest issue he had, they were in his way. Tucked against the wall, he saw the opposite direction was a dead end. It lead to a large window, but nothing else. He had to go thru these things or backtrack. He couldn't hear the woman giving chase, but he could feel her behind him. Or rather, he could feel the other relic.

Sliding to his feet, he rounds the corner and sizes up the two opponents. The one leaning against his weapon would be the easiest to disable. Darting forward, his shoe squeaks as he starts, alerting the two guards. Gaining speed and closing the distance, neither of them recognize the danger in time. Shep slams into his target, shifting his weight to lean into the tackle. He falls on top of the creature as its head connects to the ground with a solid thud. Before it can recover, he shifts, straddling the large torso, pummeling the creature's face. His fists connect with sickening sounds, there doesn't appear to be much of an internal skeleton. It's skin buckles and rapidly turns brown. Sticky fluid coats his hands and the monster stops struggling underneath him.

"BOB!" He whips around to face the remaining foe, who has backed into the wall, dropping his weapon. Spying the fallen spear, he lunges forward, grabs the weapon and rolls to his feet. The Banana Guard continues to back away as Shep/Finn regains his feet, aiming the spear at it.

* * *

Marceline was flying as fast as she could, twisting through the maze of halls of the castle. As much as she hates to admit it, she's lost track of Finn. Growling, she lands at an intersection, trying to think. Rage tints her vision, she was shaking, struggling to keep her humanoid shape. All of this caused by the damned stupid little blade. Again, her mind bring forth the vision of Finn's battered body, trying to drive the small silver dagger into his pale skin. She violently shakes her head, grabbing a hold of her raven hair and yanking, the pain allowing her to focus on the here and now. What has happened is done, she needs to stop things that were going wrong now.

Drawing a deep breath, she scans the area. All four halls look the same, no sign of Finn's path was evident, anywhere. Snarling, she swings the blade still grasped in her hand, the blade whistling through the air. Suddenly it snaps straight, lurching her forward a step down one hallway. She lifts the weapon, fighting against its chaotic movements, eyeing the hall it pulled her into.

"He's that way, huh?" It lunges again. So, it's a homing sword now. _What else can this thing do? _"Let's go find Finn."Rising, she leads the way with the blade, stopping at any intersections, using it as a compass toward Finn. Several twists and turns later, she wonders if it was wise to put her faith in the enchanted weapon. She has heard nothing as she navigated her way through the castle, barely even saw anyone else but a few scattered Banana Guards. Heading down one long hall, a shout makes her stop.

"BOB!" The blade pulls her forward with more force than before, if she hadn't been floating, she would have fallen. Flying forward, she approaches another intersection. One way lead to a dead end, but the other direction held her prize. Finn was standing in the hall, holding a spear at a Banana Guard up against the wall. Behind him lay another guard, clearly having suffered a recent attack from Finn. As she watches, Finn raises the spear, a wicked smile across his face, his coal black eyes radiating the evil within.

* * *

Jake comes to a stop at a four-way intersection, bending over, panting. He was trying to follow Marceline's route, but quickly lost track of her in the halls.

"Why in Glob did PB... go and change the... layout now..." He stands, placing his hands against his back, cracking his doggy spine. The castle was eerily silent, considering it was on high alert. There were Banana Guards around, he had hear their shouting several halls back. Looking at the area he stopped in, there is no sign of where Marcy went, if she even came this way. He flops to the ground, still panting.

Everything is wacked out, it's almost more than his mind can handle. Finn trying to kill himself, then finding out he may have been driven to it by some cursed sword, oh don't forget his normal cursed sword is acting nuts as well. He rubs his temples, trying to drive away the headache that was forming. This whole affair was crazy, worse than anything even Ice King might try, crazy. Lich level badness. Anger and heartache tore at him, all these emotions left him drained and worn down.

"But it don't matter, my bro needs me." He whispers to himself, slouching forward. His nose almost touches the floor, it twitches as it picks up a scent. It was familiar, but off, like it had gone rotten. He sniffs harder, pulling in the odor, trying to place it. Then as if a light went off in his brain, he realizes what it was - Finn. Marceline was flying, she wouldn't leave much of a scent trail, but Finn was running.

"Damn it Jake, you're are dog, act like one sometimes!" He leaps to all fours, nose to the floor. The trail was faint, but there. The more he picks up the scent, the easier it becomes to track. Running down the hall, his nose leading the way to his brother, hoping to get there before Marcy gets to him. _Or worse_, he brain adds, a shutter running over him.

* * *

"Whoa, calm down Finn!" The yellow creature raises its arms defensively. He smiles at the disgusting monstrosity. As much as he loathes wasting a perfectly good soul, this thing can't be allowed to warn anyone. No more mistakes. He raises the spear, reading the strike that would remove one obstacle in his plans.

"FINN!" A new voice shouts from behind the yellow creature, who takes the opportunity to twist around and dash away. He pulls back his arm, aiming the spear at the wide back of the fleeing creature as it passes a figure floating in the hall. There, floating in the middle of the intersection was the raven haired woman from before. In one pale hand, the damned relic writhes, pulling the woman forward. Without stopping, he lunches the spear, aiming for her chest.

Marceline watches as Finn fires the spear at her, she rushes forward, hoping to cover the fleeing guard. The blade in her hand moves, pulling her arm up. The spear nears her and the blade seems to leap out, flashing through the air. Three pieces of spear tumble to the floor. She spares a look at the destroyed weapon, taking her eyes from Finn for a second. Shep/Finn blinks in shock, it knew the weapon was powerful, but this was more than he expected. Spinning around, he darts forward, grabbing the other discarded spear as he flees past the injured guard.

Marcy snaps her eyes up, catching Finn fleeing. The blade leaps forward, she matches its movement, rocketing forward. The blade pulls her, she lets her rage fuel her as she closes the distance between them.

"FINN! STOP!" She roars at him, matching his pace and slowly gaining on him.

Shep grabs the corner of the wall, using it as a fulcrum to pivot around the corner. He takes several more steps before sliding to a frantic stop, inches from a large glass window. Stumbling backwards, he looks around, realizing he was trapped at a dead-end. Behind him Marcy rounds the corner, drawing up short from shooting down the hall as she didn't want to charge blindly into an attack. Before her stands Finn, trapped in a dead-end. Unbidden, a smile curls her lips as she raises the Grass Sword. _He's got nowhere to run now._

* * *

Finn awakens with a start, his eyes snapping open. Darkness greets his vision, silence fills his ears. He was cold, sore and exhausted, for a moment he almost closes his eyes trying to return to the numbing embrace of sleep. Then the recent events return to him; the voices, the globe of light, their attack on the mirror. It's no wonder he hurts so much. With a groan, he forces himself up, dragging his battered body upright. He was alone, the globe of light was nowhere to be found. The whispering voices are silent, the lack of noise was disturbing.

Stretching, feeling every muscle burn, every bone ache, he tries to limber up. As his last joints crack, he turns toward the only thing that shares this expanse of nothingness, the view window. It was still cracked, the black fracture line stretching from the top, down to the ground. Slowly he walks over to it, noticing it was still showing the world as seen through his eyes. Placing his hand against the invisible surface, ripples spread out distorting the view. The familiar walls of the Candy Castle rush by as the one controlling him ran. Suddenly the view comes to a sickening lurch, as the person comes to an abrupt stop. Sunlight filtering through a large window shows that he had run into a dead-end.

Finn watches as the view spins. There floating in the bend of the hall, floats the figure of Marceline. His eyes widen in shock, she was holding his Grass Sword, smiling at him.

* * *

Shep spins, the woman floated in the bend of the hall, a small smile on her face. Anger rises within his mind, as panic tries to force its way in. _NO, I will not let this woman stop me. _There is no way past her, not while she holds that relic. One strike from it would be enough to break his hold on this body, he knows it knows this. He steps back, twisting slightly to look over his shoulder, out the window. Below, twenty feet or more, the castle wall curves off leading to a single tower. Following the curve, his eyes light upon the portcullis gate, the opening offering his escape from this maddening den of fools. The only option was a gamble, this body might not handle the fall, but considering the limited options, it was the best choice.

Shep faces the woman, who has now landed, moving closer to his position. He spins the spear in his hand, feeling the heft of the pole. Since it was obvious this woman could fly, he had to plan his exit to prevent her from capturing him mid-fall.

"Finn, you've got nowhere to go. Surrender, now." She holds the sword tightly, it was still moving, almost vibrating. If she didn't know better, she would have thought it was furious. It knew that the figure before her wasn't the human, it understood somehow that it the creature possessing his body was a danger to all of them. Her vision reddens, anger coils in her guts. A snarl forms on her lips, her teeth elongating slightly, her face warping into something less human. Whatever this thing was that hurt her friend, it was going to pay. He meets her gaze, his black eyes staring into her red orbs.

"You aren't stupid enough to really think I'm Finn, are you?" He offers, watching her face. Confusion, alarm, perhaps anger. He smiles at her, watching that anger roll across her features. He drops into a crouch, shifting his footing and gripping the spear.

"Who the hell are you then?" She snarls, readying herself for his attack. She knew he wasn't going to come easily, not after the struggle he put into attempting to escape. She wasn't going to let him flee, even if she had to hurt him, he wasn't getting away.

Pain flares behind his eyes for a heartbeat, his vision blurs. Rage rushes forth inside, anger fueled by disbelief. He would not let the boy interfere again. "I am **LEGION**." He roars, showing his teeth. Jabbing forward with the spear, he allows it to slide through his hand. Marcy pushes back, swinging down to strike the pole. The blade whistles as the point clatters to the floor, but Shep tightens his grip before the pole leaves his hand. He pulls the stick back, grabbing it with both hands, swinging backwards and shattering the window. Marcy's eyes go wide, watching in horror as she realizes his next move. He swings the pole back, this time allowing the pole to fly from his grasp toward her.

"Marcy, run!" Finn shouts, his voice startlingly loud in the emptiness. He slams his hand flat against the surface causing more ripples. The view shifts, looking out the window behind. Finn recognizes the area, they were near the castle outer wall, the allure was below the window, a twenty plus foot drop. The view changes as the person turns back to Marcy, who has landed, moving closer.

Marcy was angry, Finn could see it on her face. Slowly it shifts toward her more demonic nature, her red eyes virtually glowing. Her mouth moves, she was talking but Finn couldn't hear her words. What did she ask? Would the thing was pretending to be him answer? _Oh Glob, please Marcy, realize this isn't me._ She crouches down, reading herself, either to attack or be attacked. Finn slams both hands against the window surface in frustration.

"No, Marcy, run!" The view blurs, then clears. Suddenly the figure throws a spear out at Marcy, who darts away, swinging the Grass Sword. The blade cleanly shears off the point, but instead of pressing forward, the spear is grabbed and swung backwards, smashing the window. Reversing the movement, it comes back and this time is released to fly at Marcy.

"NO!" Finn screams, this time bringing both fists down against the surface. The view ripples, but stays clear enough to watch as it turns back to the now shattered window. Finn's heart slams inside his chest, would the creature controlling him be willing to leap to its possible death rather than face Marcy? His mouth opens as a cold shiver runs down his spine, the view showing that yes, it was willing. It leapt out the window.

* * *

"No!" She shouts, reactively swinging at the projectile. Shep spares one breath as another wave of pain floods him, then turns and leaps through the shattered opening. Marcy jumps forward, reaching out to try and grasp his hand. Her fingers brush his foot and follows his movement outside, causing her to scream. Yanking her arm back, she stares down at her skin, now reddened and steaming.

"Marcy!" She turns, leading with the Grass Sword, ready to attack. Behind her, the familiar yellow form of Jake leaps back. Quickly lowering the blade, she points toward the window.

"Jake, he jumped!" Jake's eyes widen. Not speaking, he stretch-steps over to the window and drives outside, changing his shape into a triangular form of a hang-glider wing. Flying forward, he loops around, driving toward the ground. Marcy watches his form drive below the level of the window, biting her lip. The sudden pain of piercing the skin knocks her back into action. She couldn't help outside, the sunlight rendered her worthless. She turns and tears off down the hall, heading back to the last flight of steps she saw.

* * *

Princess Bubblegum sat on the edge of the hospital bed, not trusting herself to lay down. She did have a mild concussion, sleeping could be deadly. Both Doctor Ice Cream and Nurse Poundcake were gone, working on repairing poor Peppermint Butler. She holds out her hands, counting her fingers, a mindless exercise to keep herself distracted and focus on something other than how her candy servant was fairing.

Her vision roams up her arms, fixing on the ripped edge of her shirt. She remembers fighting against Finn, struggling to get away from him. A shutter goes across her body at the thought of what could have happened. _It wasn't Finn_, she reminds herself, _that wasn't Finn_. She knew that the second she saw his eyes, that look he gave her, the fear it caused.

This whole ordeal was becoming dangerous, deadly even. How could an enchanted weapon possess someone like this? She lifts her gaze to the bed, several rows down. The covers on it were still rumpled, a few hours ago Finn was peacefully sleeping there. Was it really him? Had that thing already possessed him?

"Did I allow it?" The thought occurs to her suddenly, as the events of the last night replay themselves in her mind. He was doing fine until she asked about what had happened at his house. His reaction to her questioning while reaching for something. Could it have been the blade? Did it do this in an effort to prevent him from telling them what happened? She closes her eyes, the dull throb in her skull echoing her heartbeat. If this entity was the Whispering Blade, if it had the power to control Finn like this, what else could happen? Shaking, she wraps her arms around herself, tears running down her pink face.

_Could we save Finn?_ A sob works its way past her lips, her mind blank at the ramifications. She always knew that one day he would die, but not like this, not so young. _How much of this was my fault?_ More tears fall, as warmth fills her chest. Her eyes open as she looks down at her amulet, it was pulsing a faint yellow. Blinking, she holds her breath, hoping that it was anything else. Suddenly the warmth increases as the light shifts to a deep red, the flashing speeding up.

Jolting up, she stumbles, almost collapsing back to the bed. The world reels, blurring and her stomach threatens to rebel. Her head throbs, bringing tears to her eyes. Grabbing her forehead, massaging gently, she waits till the world rights itself. This was no time for her body to fail. As the throbbing fades, she moves forward, using the footboards to steady herself. All the medical personnel were elsewhere, so she was able to make her way out of the ward room. Pushing through the doors, she halts, trying to figure out where to head.

Footsteps behind her make her turn, gently so the room wouldn't try to shake her off her feet. Roughly a dozen Banana Guards come marching down the hall, lead by none other than Marceline. _Thank Glob_, she praises and walks forward to meet the group.

"Bonnie?" Marcy asks, coming up to grab her arm. PB looks horrible, her skin was pale, eyes red. A large deep purple bruise peeks out from a bandage on her forehead. "What happened to you?" PB waves aside her concern, there wasn't time to explain. She holds up her amulet, it was still flashing red. Marcy frowns at the candy woman, not understanding.

"Ok, yes, it's pretty, but..." PB sighs, wincing slightly. The closest Guard behind her gasps, making her turn to face the group. As the others catch up, their reactions are similar. She turns back to PB. "Spill." Bubblegum swallows.

"The Gumball Guardians. Their proximity sensors have been tripped, they must have..." Her voice drifts off as Marcy blurs into two shapes, then merge back into one.

"Gumball Guardians? But... why would... they... " Understanding dawns on her. Finn, he was outside. She grabs PB, eliciting a squeak out of her, flying down the hall as fast as she can manage. Behind her, the Banana Guards give chase. Bubblegum shifts to look at the vampire's face.

"Marcy, what is wrong?" The vampire banks hard around the corner, squeezing PB tightly. She groans as her head complains, but manages to not be sick. Marcy's eyes have a hard edge to them.

"Finn jumped outside to the castle wall. Jake went after him, but if the Guardians have activated..." She left the sentence unspoken, both women understood.

* * *

Shep twists, trying to get into a position that would minimum any damage from the fall, but more pain floods his skull. Unable to concentrate, he slams hard into the walkway of the castle wall. Psychical pain tears through this body, adding to his mental pain, forcing a scream from his lips. His eyes close, the world fades from view as this body's strength fails. _NO, I will NOT let these mortals win, no!_

Jake watches Finn fall, a sickening feeling overcoming him. He wasn't going to catch him in time. "NO!" He screams, watching Finn slamming into the wall. The human screams once, then stills.

**"WARNING! EVIL PRESENCE DETECTED!"**

Midflight, Jake turns, startled by the deafening loud voice. He arcs, banking around and turns toward the source of the sound. The closest of the giant Gumball Guardians is rising, it's eyes flashing red. On the other side of the castle main, the second Guardian was climbing to its feet, repeating the warning. Jake turns again, drawing closer to the Guardian's face. Lifting its massive hand, it swats him aside forcefully. Struggling, Jake manages to catch another breeze and sails back around, again driving for its head.

* * *

Finn's view from the window goes dark. Pulling back, he stares at the cracked surface, stunned. The creature controlling his body had jumped out that window rather than face Marcy. The view was chaotic, but he caught a glimpse of what looked like Jake leaping after him. The view came to an abrupt halt, his body land must have hit the ground.

Finn takes a step back, shaking. He felt no pain, it must have been enough to knock him unconscious. _Am I dead?_ _Would I know it?_ Panic grips his chest, fear that he was trapped in this lightless hell numbs him. Light slowly returns to the window, stilling his fears. The ground was inches from the window, it was moving as his body struggles. The picture changes as he looks around, settling on something that reawakens the fear inside. One of the giant Gumball Guardians has risen, a yellow form is darting around it's head. A backhand knocks the form aside, but it recovers and aims for its head again. At the last second, it wraps around the Guardian's face, blocking its view.

"No, Jake!" He leaps forward, pounding the surface of the window with both hands. Why are the Guardians awake? The view shutters, then shifts as his body rises to its feet. "NO!" He screams, pounding again. The ripples spread across the whole surface, followed by a small sound. Finn stares down at the crack, the part between his hands is slightly more fractured. Anger, fueled by fear overtakes him. Screaming again, he starts to pummel the window harder.

* * *

Flame Princess squints to the horizon. She was still some distance from the Candy Castle, but the details of the structure were becoming clearer. The large tree growing from the top tower was visible, as well as the Gumball Guardians, blowing their bubbles. _Only a little further_, she promises herself.

Then the vista changes, something moves. One of the domes that marked the Guardians stops blowing its bubbles. Even at this distance, she is able to see that its eyes start to flash red. _Red?_ The massive Guardian slowly stands, she can see its twin also rising on the other side of the castle main. Drawing a deep breath, she surges forward. There is something else, a large yellow shape is flying around, drifting near the first Guardian. As it swipes aside the form, she realizes something is wrong. The Gumball Guardians are Princess Bubblegum's automatic defense for the kingdom. If they activated... Her eyes grow large as her breath catches. Something evil was in the castle.

"Finn..." Her flames suddenly flare, her eyes grow white hot. Roaring, she drawings more breath and speeds up, singeing the tops of the candy floss trees below. Her flames growing, obscuring her form as she charges toward the castle. Time has run out.


	22. Chapter 22 - Crash & Burn

**((Just a heads up - this chapter may seem totally out of place, but relax. It does fit, I was writing, it just flowed out, so I went with it. Long ago I learned to NOT fight the story, let it go where it wants. I mean heck, almost 6k of words?! Yeah, Backstory is always fun, right? The next chapter will be back on track. Promise :} )) - Just a warning, there is some rough language &amp; such not in this chapter -**

* * *

Chapter 22 - Crash &amp; Burn

"Get up Shep." Pain, an alarming amount of pain. Darkness, strange sounds. _Was that an explosion?_

"Damn it, Shep. Get the hell up." _Who the hell is yelling?_ A loud sound, movement, more pain. _What the hell is going on?_

"Come on, I can't carry you. If you don't get your ass up, you are getting left here to rot." _Carry me?_ More sounds, shuffling, loud bangs. Another explosion, this time very close. Close enough to awaken fear inside, which kick starts my battered body.

Sheppard finally manages to open his eyes, his vision blurry. Several shapes are hovering near, but its dark, to dark to make out any details. Struggling to move, pain flares across his back, making him cry out. Someone covers his mouth, jabs something against his arm, then warmth flood through him. Without a word, he's yanked to his feet. Gritting his teeth, trying not to scream, he moves, forcing his body to cooperate. His arm is pulled over something, supporting him.

"Where...what is happening?" His voice sounds wrong, his throat felt raw. Blinking, his vision slowly improves. He can make out the shape of someone next to him.

"Finally, you ready?"_ Was he talking to me?_ Whoever has a hold of him starts forward, he moves out of instinct. One foot in front of the next, automatically keeping pace. He finds he can move his fingers, grabbing hold of the clothing of the person holding him. Something screams overhead, the high whistling sound was ear piercing. He cringes, unable to see the incoming round, but bracing for the explosion. Somewhere behind him, it lands, the shockwave rolling into them, sending both of them tumbling forward. Someone screams. Darkness claims him again.

Slowly he regains coconscious, his eyes opening, this time he can focus. Pushing himself up, he realizes that something was draped across his back. Slowly it shifts, sliding off with a soft thud. He rolls over, carefully to avoid causing more pain. Staring up at him was the bloody face of a man he recognized. _Carlton, what the hell?_ His eyes were wide open, but man was dead, the large shard of metal protruding from his chest made that very clear. Around him, several gunshot echo, causing him to throw himself back down to the ground. _Where am I? Where the hell is everybody else?_

Crawling upright, he tries to ignore the pain in his back. The area was dark, a maze of metal and stone. Greenish light filters down from overhead, bright flashes illuminate the area. A low rumbling sound sound drifts over to him, possibly from some unknown machine. He leans back against a pile of rubble. Leaning over, he brushes close the eyes of his friend. There was nothing else he could do for him now. He looks over his corpse, he notices his firearm was missing.

Shifting his focus upon his self, he takes a quick inventory. His radio, pack and firearm are gone. Becoming frantic, he finally locates his old trusty combat knife, still tucked into his boot. At least he wasn't defenseless. Now, if he could remember where he was and how he got here? The ruckus dies down, the sound of the machine cuts off. A scream rips thru the night, cut off suddenly by a new sound. A wet crunching sound, intermixed with low moans. _What in the hell happened?_ Sheppard bangs his head back against the surface, trying to remember. A horrible scent wafts by, carried by some faint breeze. That smell, that horrible rotten flesh smell. Another cut off scream rips through the night as his memory jolts.

* * *

Carlton, Jackson, Evett, Gomez, Jacob and his self - his squadron. They had been returning to base, answering a frantic call by someone to all available units. Jackson had been complaining, as per normal, he wasn't happy. They had spent the last four days scouting the mountains, playing guard to the supply vehicles, then fixing up their helo. Out of the blue, some random person comes over the radio, demanding they get back to the base ASAP. No other communication, they didn't even wait to for an acknowledgment. When they tried to call back, nothing answered. Just dead air.

"Shep, shit ain't right. My gut doesn't like this, not one damn bit." Jackson growls from the front. Everyone else agrees, something didn't sit right.

Thankfully Gomez had just finished the repairs, but they were a good twenty minutes from the base. Evett called out to the next nearest unit, headed by some guy named Kirke, who confirmed his unit got the same strange orders. Return to base, ASAP. No answer when they tried to call back. They were already underway, ETA ten minutes or less. He stated he'll give us a heads up if something was happening when they got closer.

Poor sod never got the chance.

We loaded up and took off, Gomez keeping the speed down, not wanting to stress his recent repairs. That was probably what saved us. We had just cleared the fields where we landed when the sky overhead changed color. It darkened, turning a sickly greenish-gray color. The clouds thickened, lightning flashing within. Gomez was worried, with a sudden storm like this, the high winds could knock us from the sky. He dropped us lower, wanting to be low in case of an emergency landing was needed. Evett was manning the radio, trying to bring Kirke's unit back up, myself and the others were watching the sky.

Suddenly the horizon flashes white, Evett screams, ripping the headphones off. Jacob grabs him as he pitches forward, holding his head. Carlton shifts over, pulling him back upright. He's pale and shaking, eyes wide.

"Holy shit, all the channels went blank, then started screaming." Jacob hands him a canteen, which he refuses. Jacob was known to keep his stocked with more than plain water.

"Screaming, like the line died?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"No, SCREAMING. Like people do when they are being killed." Jacob crosses himself. I turn to Jackson, riding co beside Gomez. He was the worry-wart of the unit, but this time his gut instinct was proving right. Something was very wrong here. Before any of us can suggest anything, the world lights up again, highlighting the sickly greenish color of the sky. Before us, a huge black cloud shoots up from the ground, quickly growing into a mushroom-head formation. I leapt forward, coming to stand between the two pilots. Gomez glances over at me.

"LAND NOW!" I shout, pointing to a small clearing just below us. Gomez gives me a look, but Jackson reacts, pushing forward of the stick. Gomez snaps out of his shock and takes over as I turn back to the others.

"Turn everything off!" Evett and Carlton start hitting switches on the radios, Jacob sits there in shock. I shove past the fool and start shutting down anything electrical in nature.

"Gomez, are we down?" I can hear the whine of the engines as he works on landing. I was counting in my head, I was up to 10 as we roughly landed, knocking Evett back into his seat. Carlton manages to snap the last few switches as the whines of the engines cycle down. I look at him, he nods answering my unspoken question.

"All dead sir." I whip around to Gomez.

"KILL IT." He doesn't question, just flips switches. Jackson does the same, within seconds the helo is a cold hunk of steel. We all sit there, waiting in silence. Slowly, we start to hear something, a roaring mixed with some other noise. It builds in strength as the sky overhead changes color again. Gray, with streaks of green, mixed with patches of black. The clouds are streaming past, the wind picks up. Jackson twists around to look at me, he's mouthing numbers. Just as he hits "one" the sound hits us, rolling over us like a wave. If this was just an EMP, there would be no sound, but each of us know that it was something worse.

The sound was horrible, like the death rattle of thousands of souls, all suffering and perishing in the same second. Each of us covered our ears, only to find out the sound was internal, rattling around inside our skulls. The wind hit us next, battering the helo with such force that the whole thing slid backwards several feet. It made the helo howl like a dying beast, but it held together. Within seconds the event was over. The sky overhead cleared to a flat dull gray, sheeted by a layer of rolling clouds. The six of us sat there trying to figure out what in Hell just happened.

"Evett, see if the radio survived." He moved slowly, as if he was sleepwalking. Minuets pass as he tries various things, but finally sits back down, shaking his head.

"Nothing sir, nothing at all." I turn toward Gomez who was already working on the helo. After watching him try everything, repeatedly, he sits back with a heavy grunt. Jackson punches the panel, he efforts also failed. We should have been alright, everything was blacked out when the wave hit. I was desperately thinking, trying to piece together this impossible puzzle.

"Well, if we are still breathing, that was no nuke. We are close enough the shockwave should have leveled this place." Jackson often spoke like this, instead of internalizing things. All of us were used to it, but it brought things into perspective hearing it out loud.

"So what we gonna do, sir?" Jacob, the rookie runt of the unit. Good goddamn question. All of them looked at me, my decade and a half of training kicked into gear.

"Suit up. Orders as before, head back to the base. Hopefully we'll find one other units or figure out what the hell is going on." Command issued, they all went to work. Twenty minutes later we were suited to the nines, every piece of gear we thought might help, including the dead radios. Jacob was the last to jump out of the helo, holding something small in his hands. It was his ancient cell phone, a remnant of the old days when they were nearly indestructible. We all had already checked ours, they were on when the wave hit, and all of them were now dead chunks of plastic. Jacob fought with his archaic phone as a smiled spread across his face.

"Damn thing works." He holds it out so we all can see its black and white screen. Sure enough, it powered up, but of course the signal bar as missing. Gomez rolls his eyes at the kid.

"Did that thing ever get signal out here?" Jacob ignores the jib, playing with his phone for a second. Finally, conceding that it couldn't pick up any signal, he puts it away.

"When the right satellite passed overhead." I turn toward Evett, who shakes his head.

"Sat phone was on and the Iridium got turned in last week. Remember, Jacob broke the antenna." He glowered at the younger man. No communication at all, just peachy.

"Fine, anyone at least know the time?" I had already checked my watch, nice digital one. Dead like everything else. Four other heads answer no, but Evett holds up his arm. He had a different watch, a pricy dive model that was a wind-up. Of everyone's watch, his should have been spared the electromagnetic death, but the expression on his face told me otherwise. Walking up to him, I pull up his arm and stare at the dual crystal face.

It had movement, just none of it made sense. The main face was the timepiece, but it wasn't keeping any sort of time that we could use. The second hand was keeping check, but going backwards. The hour hand was moving as fast as the second hand, but forwards. The minuet hand would tick five notches forward, two back, three forward, seven back. No order, just random movement. The second face was supposed to be a compass, but it was spinning around in a fast circle.

There are times I think God is laughing at me.

"Fine, we aren't that far, if we move we should get to the base by nightfall." I turn back the direction I figured the base lay in. The sky was too overcast to tell either the hour or the direction, so all we had was the best guess from before we landed. That and the clouds. All this time, somewhere in front of us, thick black clouds poured up into the sky. It was assumed from the base, but we all know what assuming does to fools.

Roughly thirty minutes in, we found the wreckage of Kirke's helo. They hadn't been as lucky, they must have gone down when the wave hit. We couldn't get close enough to check for survivors, the fire was too hot. If they didn't die in the crash, the flames ended things quick. By the time we got close enough to the base, night had fallen, but we couldn't tell it from the light show up above. The heavens still shone with that sickly light, occasionally blacked out by the smoke clouds. The closer we got to the base, the worse things got. If there was a Hell, this place was as close it got.

First was the smell, a combination of chemicals and rotting flesh. Allot of rotting flesh. Even if every living thing within the base had suddenly died, it couldn't have produced this much of a smell. The closer to the base we got, to worse it got. The really bad part, no matter how long we were exposed to it, it never lessened. Our noses never got used to the stench.

Second was the sound, drifting in on the wind that carried that carrion stench. Faint moans, distant screams and other unrecognizable noises. Occasionally a loud boom could be heard, which we guessed might be some explosion. Put all of us on edge.

Third was the sickly green light. As we exited the forest, at the crest of the hill that lead down to the base, we could tell the main section was the source. In fact, it was so bright in places that we couldn't make out the buildings. Oddly enough the glow wasn't steady, but seemed to pulse.

Last thing was we found no one. No bodies, no survivors, no nothing. On the way in we took notice that no animals seemed to be around, the forest was deathly silent. On the road in, we passed a lot of vehicles. Some had their doors open, their occupants fled. Others were on their sides or roofs, crashed or tossed that way. Inside was there were no bodies, no sign of the people who had driven then.

When we entered the outer base, the area where the housing and other normal civilian building were kept, we found the place destroyed. If we didn't know better, I'd say this was close to ground zero. Some buildings were in ruins, others stood but with no glass left intact. Cars where in the road, dead, others in parking spots. Doors where left open, bikes on the sidewalks. Everywhere there was stuff, like the everyday junk one would carry with them. Bags, briefcases, shopping bags, phones, keys, just random everyday stuff.

Carlton noticed the first bullet holes, in the side of a parked car. The doors stood open, covered in holes. The windshield and side windows were gone. Holes where torn into the seats, stuffing flapping in the sickening breeze. Someone had fired into the vehicle, but there was no blood, no bodies.

Then the sound picked up, outside town it was creepy, like the wind blowing through dead trees. In town, it became a moaning-howl. Sometimes something would crash, a loud crunch could be heard echoing through the empty streets. The moaning-howl would dip and weave, fading almost completely out before returning.

Just like the smell. It was stronger, thicker, clung to the area. The chemical part was more pronounced than the rot, but it changed every time the wind blew. At times it was strong enough, Evett and Jacob got sick. Between the grren overhead glow, the smell, the sound, we were nearing our breaking point.

It was decided to find a place to hold down till daybreak. We were all exhausted, nervous and seriously on edge. Every little noise made us jump, several times someone would shoot at a piece of rubble that was kicked or fell down. After searching for a bit, we found a corner store that was still mostly intact. A single door offered a decent way to secure the place.

After securing the rear door and enforcing the front with shelving units, we settled in for the night. We should have left, ran way as fast as we could. One of us could have made it somewhere, warned somebody, although it was probably too late anyways. None of us knew the danger.

Jackson and myself took first watch, the others crashed fast and hard. We sat there in the dark, backs to the shelves on either side of the front door.

"Any clue about what the hell might have happened?" Jackson asked, lighting up a cigarette. I hated those damn things, but at this point and time, little comforts where all we had. I looked over at my friend, we had served together for the last nine years. We had our jobs, but mine differed slightly from his. I had a second classification, top secret bullshit. I didn't always like my orders, but I did my job. I let myself believe that if I did what I did, I was making sure worse things didn't happen in the future.

Boy, was I stupid.

I didn't know how much to tell Jackson, I knew he would keep his trap shut. He owed me that after his last "trip" overseas, but I always wondered how he would react. I didn't think he'd turn against me, but sometimes you never knew about people. Humans are crazy animals, they do the strangest shit at times.

"Truthfully, I might." I reached over and snatched the cig from him, taking a long drag. It had been years since I smoked, but considering the world looks like it went to hell, what did I care. Hanging it back to him, he waited until I spoke.

"The General and his plans." I made quote marks at "plans". Everybody who spent any time at the base knew the General was odd, strange and quite frankly, scary. You either got sent to this station because you screwed up, pissed off the wrong person or wanted to be here. Nobody just got randomly assigned here. I was here because I'm good at my side job, obeyed my orders and did what I was told. No matter what I was told. Jackson pissed off the wrong asshole base commander, was almost court-martialed, but dumped here at the last second. Evett hacked into a secure military network, he was offered this position or jail time. Carlton supposedly had killed a bunk mate, although the reports I read the jerk deserved it, he liked roughing up woman for fun. Gomez was an oddball, he came he willingly. He was a gear-head, helos his special hobby. They needed someone to keep shit running, he got to play with things he loved. Win-win for both sides.

Welcome to the Base with No Name - Fort Bann.

Well, this place suited the General perfectly. Nobody from higher up the food chain gave a shit as long as it was kept nice and quite. The General often had various secret operations running, all hidden from everyone else. Few shared what they were doing, which was something strange about this place. It wasn't a written rule, no one commanded you to not talk, but no one did. Even the townfolk kept to themselves. For a small out the way place, I had expected allot more crap, drama, something. Nope, not here. Not in Bann.

Sometimes, strange things happened at the base or in town. Weird monsters would be seen, crazy shit that couldn't be explained, a dead soldier or two would pop up. Nobody did, or at least no one was willing to talk about it. All I knew was he was doing some crazy shit with radioactive materials. I manned the convoy that brought the material to the base ten months ago. Tons of stuff that you wouldn't want ANYWHERE near anything living. We had to wear level 4 hazmat suits the whole trip, keep RAD-badges on everybody who even came close to the tankers. I never got why we were bringing it in, nor even where they put it once we got safely on the base. My job ended when the last tanker rolled into one of the large warehouses.

Really wish I had found out more.

"General Oddball up to his experiments again?" Jackson chuckled, everybody called him that behind his back. But it was true, the man was strange. There had been more than the average number of desertions at this posting. That was one thing that spread around, the number of people that disappeared. They said they went AWOL, but I had a feeling it wasn't because they were tired of back-water nowheresville.

"Yeah, nasty stuff. Radioactive experiments. His scientists had keys to places even the base commander doesn't. I don't know what he was up to, but I have a really bad feeling all of this crap can be traced back to him." I waved out the window, "He wanted the war to be over, at almost any cost." Jackson stares at me, probably trying to figure out if I was pulling his leg. Then he leans back, finishing off his cigarette. He flings the butt off into the darkness.

"Even if he did, what type of shit could he be doing that would destroy the base, cause a mushroom cloud and take out every living thing while leaving no bodies?" I shuttered, he was right. Just as I open my mouth to reply, a loud thump makes me freeze in place. The noise came from the back of the store, where there was only the single door. We stood up slowly, flanking the edges of the store till we made it back to the hallway that lead to the back door. We had moved the floor freezer for ice cream in front of the steel door, it took four of us to shift it. The door itself was hardened steel, so I didn't think much was gonna make in that way. Pointing our rifles at the blank door, the thump comes again. Something was clearly outside. The two of us couldn't move that freezer if we wanted to, I didn't want to think what would happen if something managed to move it. I opened my mouth as a new sound cames from behind us. I spun to face the front and stopped dead. Standing at the glass door was a woman, or rather what was left of one. Her clothes where ripped, stained in red and dark green, in places blackened. The skin of her face and right arm looked like they melted, exposing the muscle and bone underneath. Where her eyes once sat, green glowing ooze leaked from the hallow sockets. She lifted her good hand, pounding against the glass. Jackson stares at the thing, leveling his rifle at its head. I was about to stop him when I noticed the woman wasn't alone. Twenty feet behind her, a crowd of similar things were shuffling toward the door. They had once all been human, from the remains of clothing that hung off them. Sadly, they all were in the same state of decay as the woman, many cases were worse.

We were trapped.

I opened my mouth to wake the guys, but Jackson's hand on my arm stopped me. Sparing a sideways glance, I waited. He points up to the ceiling.

"There is a ladder up to the roof in the office, I found it looking for keys to the doors. If we can get up there..." I catch his eyes, there was fear there, but also determination. I nod, bending down to shake Carlton, without taking my eyes off the woman thing at the door.

"Carlton, wake up. Quietly." His eyes open, he was always a light sleeper. I nod at the door, watching terror spread across his face. Thankfully, like a good soldier, he kept his mouth shut. I pointed to Gomez while drifting toward Jacob and Evett. Evett was easy to wake, simple tap to the knee and his eyes popped open. He often put himself in a trance like sleep, the knee tap was the trigger to wake him instantly. Like with Carlton, I point at the woman. Evett swallows hard, but readies himself as silently as he could.

Jacob was the one I dreaded waking, he slept like the dead and woke like a grizzly bear. Kneeling down I get ready to slap my hand across his mouth when a new noise freezes me. A soft moan-gurgle coupled with the tinkle of cracking glass. I look up at the door, the woman has been joined by five others. They pressed up from behind, smashing the first creature into the door. I couldn't tell where one of them stopped and the next started, the mass of rotten flesh and oozing slime blended into a unholy monstrosity. It was struggling, growing frantic as more of those things pressed in from behind.

Taking a deep breath, I drop my knee onto the center of Jacob's chest while slapping my hand over his mouth. He wakes with a start, catching my eyes. I look up then back at him, he shifts around and sees the mass at the door. His eyes grow large. I slowly lift off him, ready to jump back if need be, but he just scrambles up to his feet, staring at the door.

"Office, slowly." Jackson whispers, stepping backwards. He starts in first, followed by Carlton, Evett and Gomez. I'm backing toward the door as Jacob finally snaps out of his stupor, pointing at the door.

"What the FUCK are those!" His shout echoes in the small space. The glass of the door cracks, the moans rising in pitch at the sound of his voice. He steps back, tripping over his pack as the door gives way. The mass of creatures flow into the space, the smell hits me. It hits Jacob harder as he vomits over himself. One of the creatures pulls away from the mass, I can't tell what it was. It looks like it's flesh had melted into the others. It reels back and spits at Jacob, the glob striking his face. The boy didn't even have a chance to scream as the substance eats into his face. He falls, thrashing as I turn, fleeing into the office. As soon as I cross the threshold, Carlton slams the door shut, shoving a chair under the knob.

"Up, now! They can spit acid!" Jackson was already up the ladder, working on the padlock. A thump of the door makes us jump as the lock finally opens. Carlton leaps up, grabbing a rung several feet up. Both of them scramble up the ladder in seconds. Evett looks up and grab ahold, the guy was unnerved by highs, but fear is a strong motivator. I signal Gomez to go, but he shakes his head, motioning I should. Not arguing, I head up. I swing my rifle around, hoping to cover him. I look up, climbing akwardsly and get three-quarters of the way up before the door breaks with a crunch. Gomez opens fire into the mass, backtracking toward the ladder. Looking down, I watch as mass of the creature floods into the room. Gomez spins, letting his rifle fall to his side to grab the ladder. Suddenly a bubble forms, exploding out, striking Gomez in the across the back. His scream freezes my guts. He looks up at me, his eyes wide, tears streaming down his face. I swing my rifle down, squeezing the trigger once. His body flops backwards onto the floor. The leading edge of the blob starts to envelope his corpse as I pull myself up the last rungs.

As I pull myself up on the roof, Carlton slams the trap door down. There's no way to lock it, but hopefully the thing below won't be able to get up to us. Jackson was scanning the building beside ours, Evett was looking over the front edge of the building. He turns back as we walk up between them.

"I don't think we can stay here long." He points over the edge. I rush over and peer down. The street was full of those things, I had no way how to even guess how many. It was a sickening sight, those rotten things pushing together to form that grotesque mass. As more things joined, I noticed that they were leaving trails of glowing green slime. I look up, toward the main base. That crap was the same color as the glow from the base.

"I think we can jump to the next building, there is a fire escape. We should be able to get several away." Evett shutters. I look out over the other buildings. If we went his way, we would be heading closer to that glow. I had a bad feeling about getting too close to the base. In fact, I want nothing to do with anything here. I just want to leave.

"Do you think anyone is still alive?" Carlton was staring over the edge, he was greenish looking. I turn and look over my unit. There was four of us, four guns, no gear and no radio. Alone, no back up, up against some creatures straight from a horror movie.

"We need to get the hell out of here." They all turn toward me. Evett looks relived, as does Carlton. Jackson, he looks pissed.

"What about..." I stand up from the edge, moving over to face him.

"Think, Jackson. Really, think. We haven't seen anything alive, no bodies. This place is in ruins, for all we know we are dying from radiation exposure." Behind me Carlton and Evett exchange glances. Jackson's face is a mask of rage. I don't know why the man is so worked up, none of us have anyone important to us anywhere near here. It pains me thinking we might be leaving some innocent to a horrifying death, but I don't think for one minuet that anyone was still alive.

We stand that way for what seemed like hours, until a new sound overpowers the moaning. It's high pitched, coming in fast. Both of our eyes register the sound at the same time. Years of combat training kick in, we drop to the ground, Carlton and Evett following suit. Overhead a jet screams past, unleashing a volley of missiles into the buildings surrounding us. The ground shakes, the building we are lying on rocks, creaking and groaning. Time is up, we need to evac now.

I leap to my feet, running toward the opposite edge of the roof. Jackson was right, there was a fire escape on the far building. It was gonna be a ten foot jump, but nothing we couldn't handle. I turn and my guys are standing behind me. No words, I climb up in the short wall. Overhead another jet is approaching. I leap out and catch the iron railing on the fire escape, swinging myself up and over. Carlton jumps next, followed by Jackson. Easy as pie for both of them. Evett climbs up, steadying himself for the jump. Really wish he had gotten over his fear of heights. I wave out at him, trying to get him to move, but it was too late. He bends down as the jet screams by, leaving several more missiles in its wake. Just as Evett tries to leap, they impact. The ground shakes, the building gives a metal screech. Evett leaps, but instead of rising, he falls straight out as the wall crumbles beneath him. Me and Jackson lean out, but he never came close enough to grab. Unable to do anything, we watch Evett fall the fifty feet to the ground below. We didn't hear his impact as the building collapsed on top of him. Carlton grabbed my shoulder, knocking me back into reality and the fire escape shakes, the old iron warning us it wasn't long for this world.

Down was out, up we went. Carlton, Jackson and myself, my foot leaves the last rung as the fire escape rips free of it's anchors, clattering down on top of the brick mess below. The building we were standing on rocks, who knows how steady it was. We take off, racing across the roof top. Someone must have been rooting for us as the next building was connected directly. Same with the next. We make it to the next roof as another jet screams overhead, this time banking for the main section of the base. We stand at the edge, watching the fighter release four missiles, which scream toward the center of the glow. They disappear into the light, we hear the explosions, but the light never changes. Another jet comes in low, banking for the same area. As it gets close, we watch in abject terror as something lances out from the heart of the glow, splashing against the jet. In seconds, it's covered, but not before the canopy flies off and the pilot ejects. We cover our eyes as the jet explodes, raining hot metal down.

"Come on, we need to get off this building." Carlton points to a ladder hanging off the edge. We move. It wasn't a fire escape, rather just a ladder straight down. It stops about eight feet above the pavement, but better than the full fifty foot drop. Jackson starts first, moving down several rungs before wrapping his feet on the outside edge, hands loose on the handrail. He slides down, unable to stop at the bottom and falls the short distance. Thankfully he lands correctly. Carlton starts down, I don't wait for him to start to drop before I climb on the ladder. The scream of another jet grows louder.

Halfway down, the missiles impact, the ground shakes. Carlton manages to get down, dropping awkwardly to the ground. I was still twenty feet up when the ladder snaps, I had enough time to push myself away from the falling iron, hoping it wouldn't land on top of me.

That's it, until I woke up...

I look down at Carlton's body, he must have dragged me aside until I could get up. Gun shots echo from somewhere, more explosions. Screams. The Calvary came to kick ass, but who's ass was really being kicked. I slide up the wall to my feet. I don't know if Jackson was alive, not sure I really care. Slowly, gripping my trusty knife, I work my way through the darkness. I have no clue where I'm going, but I steer away from that sickening glow.

I rather die alone in the dark.


	23. Chapter 23 - Freedom

**((Well, I posted the first draft of this yesterday - i slept on it and Glob Damn it, i couldn't just leave it as I finished it. SO I took it down, changed some crap and finished the chapter as I WANTED it done. I'm now happy :} AND NO, the story isn't over yet. COMMENTS, reviews, scream at the monkey at the keyboard, ect - Let me know what you think. the next chapter is kind "up in the air".))**

* * *

Chapter 23 - Freedom

_Move!_ Shep snarls to himself and the frail flesh he wore. _YOU WILL MOVE!_ He struggles to sit upright, his blurry gaze locked to the distant shapes. One was vaguely humanoid, a behemoth of a figure. It's head was fixed in his direction, the large see-thru dome with glaring with obvious hatred from its glowing eyes. Around it flew a triangular yellow shape, swooping and diving, vainly attempting to distract it. Lifting a massive arm, it strikes the object away, taking a few steps closer to Shep. The yellow form somehow recovers and banks, drawing close again. As it aims for the other's head, it shifts shape, slamming into the creature's face. It grows, stretching around the head, covering its mouth and eyes.

Taking the chance that it was too distracted with its new opponent, he forces himself to his feet. Sharp stabbing agony floods through him, ripping a scream from his battered form as he drops to one knee. It wasn't connected to the injuries this body suffered, rather it was the same as before, an attack directly on his true form. _The boy._ Pain rolls through his being in waves, making control of the boy's damaged flesh difficult. _NO, you will not win, worthless child_, he snarls, directing his anger toward his effort.

The fall had damaged the boy's body more than he expected. Fresh blood seeps from a gash across his left shoulder, the arm hangs lifeless. A violent coughing fit seizes him, he clamps his good hand to his mouth, waiting for the spasm passes. As it subsides, he looks down at his hand, splashed with bright red blood. It didn't matter to him anymore if this body dies, he refuses to let these bothersome creature have it back. As long as the boy's legs were intact, he could still escape.

Looking around, he recognizes that he successfully landed on the castle wall. It was some still distance to the gate, but not beyond his reach. He looks back at the struggling opponents. The large one was now tugging against the yellow one, who has spread down, wrapping up one arm. _Good, let them fight each other_. Forcing his back body up, he takes a shakily step forward, as thunderous words split the air around him.

**"WARNING! EVIL PRESENCE DETECTED!"**

Turning, he's barely able to keep his feet with the too fast movement. Coming around the curve of the castle was a second behemoth, it's cold gaze locked on his position. Were these things some type of security system, capable of detecting his true nature? The giant monstrosity stands up to its full height, it's eyes suddenly glowing white. Instinct kicks in, Shep turns, forcing his body into a feeble trot.

* * *

Jake knew he was in trouble, major _globbing_ trouble. He had watched firsthand the Gumball Guardians defend the Candy Kingdom. He knew the tremendous power that could they weld. When they belted out their warning about evil, Jake finally came to the understanding that it wasn't his brother that had jumped out the window. He took action even without thinking about how he was supposed to stop the giant machine. Bubblegum's warning finally makes sense, although in his heart, he refuses to one-hundred percent believe it. _Finn had to be in there somewhere, I just know it._

The best thing he could do now is hope Marcy was somewhere and could stop Finn before the Guardians did. He stretches his arms out longer, looping them around the narrow body of the Guardian. It was thrashing around, trying to pull his flattened body off its face, but Jake kept shifting his form, making it impossibly difficult. His paw loops up, sailing over the Guardian's shoulder, grabbing onto its neck. He pulls and tightens his body, clamping his stretched arm against the Guardian's body, trapping one arm. One down, one to go, he thinks, stretching out his other paw. As he loops once around, he hears a booming voice behind him.

**"WARNING! EVIL PRESENCE DETECTED!"**

"GLOB IT!" He was so busy dealing with this Guardian, it had slipped his mind that their where two of them. He shifts his eyes onto long stalks, snaking them out past the thin edge of his body. Sure enough, behind him the second Guardian was walking toward the wall where Finn had landed. One eye pivots, he spies the body of his brother slowly running away from the other Guardian. _Marcy, where the Grob are you!_

* * *

Marcy darts through the doorway into the Throne Room, eyeing the open double doors that lead outside. PB, struggling to keep herself from being ill, manages to look up as the vampire enters the room. Her eyes go wide, she grits her teeth and forcefully thrusts up one arm to elbow the vampire. Marcy grunts, nearly dropping the candy woman. Twisting, PB stares into her angry face.

"PB, what are you doing?" She snarls at her. Marcy's eyes are still glowing red, her features twisted into a more demonic shape. It was clear that she was furious, her rage and anger leading her blindly. Bubblegum swallows, she doesn't have the strength to fight the vampire, she had to hope there was enough of her normal self to reason with.

"The sun?" She offers, nodding behind her. If she didn't listen, going outside was just going to enhance her rage. Who knew how she would react, but there wasn't time to force her into understanding. Glaring down into the pink face, Marcy tries to grasp what the candy rulers was yammering about. The violent emotions that drove her, blinding her to everything but the desire to stop all this madness. She looks up into the bright daylight streaming through the doorway.

As it dawns on her, she drifts down, releasing the nauseous candy ruler. PB stumbles, bending over, panting slightly, glad Marcy's rage stricken brain hasn't completely overwritten her common sense. Behind the woman, Banana Guards flood into the throne room, they numbered nearly two dozen now. Suddenly they part, allowing a smaller figure to approach. Root Beer Guy, holding a large umbrella, stops before Princess Bubblegum, waiting for her to recover.

Coughing, she stands back, her body no longer threatening to be violently ill. Marceline draws a deep breath, reaching out for her umbrella. Root Beer Guy holds it up, but PB snatches it before Marceline can. The vampire hisses at her, eliciting a stern look from PB. She backs up a step, then closes her eyes. Her face shifts back to her normal human form, when she reopens her eyes the glow is gone. PB nods, offering the umbrella to the now relaxed vampire. Turning she addresses RBG and her guards.

"First, make sure there are no Candy citizens in the streets. If need to, escort them into the castle." Several guards salute and race off, not waiting for her to finish. Watching them file out, she continues. "Next, close the gate. I don't want Finn escaping." Two more guards rush away. She turns to RBG, kneeling down to his level.

"Get the Fireteams ready, Flame Princess is coming." His eyes light up, several guards behind him shuffle, not as eager to rush of for this set of duties. RBG nods.

"What are you going to do Princess?" She looks up at Marcy, waiting with her umbrella open. She reaches down, grasping the amulet on her chest.

"Hopefully stop this before someone gets hurt." He nods again, spinning around. He barks off orders to the remaining Banana Guards. Five of them follow him back into the castle, four remain waiting with the ladies. PB stands, looking down as the solid red amulet. She had been trying to reverse the command, to halt the Guardians. So far, everything she tried, failed. Long ago, she had to alter the Guardians code after Shoko had stolen the amulet. She needed them to react to danger without her command. They hadn't failed in all the years since, now they continued to obey, protecting the kingdom.

"Ready?" Marcy asks, she nods, letting the amulet fall back to her chest. She holds out a hand toward the candy woman. Grasping the other woman's hand, PB squeaks as she pulls her close. They lift up, heading out, the Banana Guards following, weapons at the ready. Fear fills her gut, she doesn't know how this is going to end.

They exit into a scene of chaos. One of the Guardians is failing about, wrapped from head to mid-torso with the stretched shape of Jake. They watch as his loops his other arm around, trapping the Guardian's other arm to its thin torso. It stumbles backwards, knocking into the outer wall of the castle, which collapses under the weight.

A high pitched sound draws her attention, understanding the implication of that sound. Marcy turns, pointing them toward the second Gumball Guardian just as it lets loose with a laser beam at the opposite castle wall. Both woman scream in horror, panic stilling their hearts. The beam sails over the wall, narrowing missing the structure. The Guardian continues forward, it's eyes beginning to cycle up for another attack.

"Glob... " Marcy is speechless, the battle before them was not what she was expecting. If it wasn't daylight, she could shift into a shape more capable of battling the Gumball Guardians. Trapped underneath the shade of her umbrella, she didn't know what she could do. PB sobs in her grasp, she looks at candy woman. Her tear stained face was locked on the wall. Marcy notices light reflecting in her eyes, she looks up in the direction PB was gazing, shocked to see a flaming white ball of fire streaking toward the castle.

"The one time I'm glad to see Flame Princess." She softly whispers. PB starts, but understands the vampire. She shakes herself, lifting an arm to point.

"Come on, let's get as close as we can. This is going to get worse before it's over. One of them will need our help." Nodding, Marcy shoots forward, gaining speed. Thankfully the grounds were clear, apparently the Guards had done their job well enough to get all the citizens to safety. _May Glob be merciful, let there be no causalities_.

* * *

Flame Princess burns hot, her emotions pouring strength into her flame, which shifts to yellow, then white. Her speed was maxed, she couldn't fly any faster. Behind her, a long black mark shows the path of her passing above the candy-floss forest. She flying just above the treetops, her eyes locked on the two massive shapes of the Guardians. At this distance she can see that one of them is failing around, wrapped up with a large yellow shape. It had to be Jake, it was the only thing she knew that could shape-shift like that. The other Guardian was heading for the wall, it's eyes glowing, tracking a small yellow and blue figure running across the top. _Finn?_

She clenches her hands into fists, fire growing into thick balls around them, still speeding toward the castle. Pulling up her arms, she readies the flames, waiting till she closed the distance between her and the nearest Guardian. Before she can release her attack, a white beam of light shoots out from the Guardian's eyes, barely missing the wall and the fleeing figure.

"NO!" She roars, releasing her fireballs directly at the head of the Gumball Guardian.

* * *

Shep, hearing the high pitched noise, dives forward. As he hits the ground, heat washes over him, bright white light blinding him momentarily. He scrambles forward, his one good hand clawing at the ground for purchase. He can hear the sound building up again behind him. Another flare of pain makes him choke, falling back down. His lungs spasm, this body wasn't capable of much more punishment. He spits a wad of blood to the side, forcing himself to climb back to hit feet. Turning, he sees the behemoth was close, only a few of its gigantic steps away from the wall. It's eyes were growing again, clearly the source of the beam that barely missed him. A faint smile forms on his face. It would be a waste to lose this body, the soul to oblivion's embrace. He wouldn't parish, only the child. Not his design, but it would suffice. A trickle of blood leaks down the corner of his mouth as he chuckles.

To his shock, two things happen almost at once. Just as the behemoth's eyes reach their full brightness, a ball of white fire slams into its head, knocking it back. Sadly, this attack wasn't enough to stop the Guardian's lasers, which fire down at the castle wall. The only good part was its aim was thrown, instead of striking Finn directly, it hits the wall directly before him, causing the structure to buckle and collapse. Shep, in shock, manages to spin around and take one step before the ground beneath his feet gives way, dropping him into the widening hole.

He cries out, this body's reaction to the suddenly loss of stability. There would be no way the human could survive, Shep thinks, going limp and closing his eyes. There was nothing that could be done but wait for the death of his host. He was surprised when somehow, instead of falling to its death within the rubble of the wall, something envelopes him. His eyes shoot open as he's squeezed, the air is forced out of his lungs. It takes a second before the understanding of what was happening to him registers. He was held within the grasp of the behemoth, one of its enormous hands squeezing this body, lifting him up to his enormous head.

The view before him would be terrorizing to most, twin glowing orbs of white hot death stare down at him. Shep had no fear of death, this creature could no more kill him than he could extinguish the sun. Unable to draw breath, he's left waiting till either this body expires or the behemoth finishes its assault, either way the boy's fate was sealed. He was displeased that he would have to start from scratch again, find a new fool to feed from. He had savored the boy's life-force, truly hoping to add his pure soul to his collection. It would have added enormous strength to the Legion, but once again fate reminded him that the best laid plans could be undone in the blink of an eye. Black spots start to obscure his vision, struggling reflexively within the monstrosity's hand. His host's body goes limp, his vision continuing to darken. Then heat washes over him.

* * *

Flame Princess screams, her emotions wiping out any rational thought from her mind. Her attack had distracted the construct, but failed to prevent its attack. The Guardian's lasers had missed the figure, but it struck the wall, burning a path across the structure. The wall, not built to withstand such an onslaught, crumbles, dragging the figure with it. Beyond the collapsing wall, the Guardian shows no visible damage from her fire. Suddenly it bends down, disappearing from her sight.

Screeching, she summons more fireballs, soaring up to look over the wall at the Guardian. It was standing back upright, one of its hands was closed around something. If any reason still existed within her, she would have held off her attack. Unfortunately the pain of watching the yellow and blue figure she knew had to be Finn, fall into the gapping maw of the collapsing wall drove it away. Or one could say, burnt it away. She launches the fireballs down at the giant construct, summoning more as soon as the first volley leaves her hands.

* * *

((from here, go look up the following song on youtube - M.I.N.E (End This Way) \- _Wrong Side Of Heaven and Righteous Side of Hell Vol 1_, Five Finger Death Punch))

His throat was raw from screaming, but Finn continues to pummel the invisible surface of the window. His hands felt numb, pain from repetitive impacts radiates up into his shoulders. Exhausted, he leans his forehead against the surface, the black crack inches from his eyes. He managed to do more damage, the crack had spread across the window, the whole thing was spider-webbed with fine lines. Tears, free flowing down his face drip off his chin to the ground.

The views from the window horrified him, he watched in growing distress as the Gumball Guardians attacked. Jake was struggling with one, slowly wrapping his stretchy body over it. The second Guardian arrived, its approach uninhibited by any opponent. Dread gripped him as the view showed he was bleeding, struggling feebly, trying to flee the approaching giant. Bright light flares, whiting out the window, blinding him for a second. He knew the Guardian's main attack was their lasers, but to see their effect up close was frightening.

The view clears, he watches his body stand up, staring up at the immense machine. The Guardian's eyes are starting to glow again, he knew this time the attack would connect, there was nowhere to go. His bloodshot tear-stained eyes stare ahead blindly. The grim knowledge that he was helpless to stop his inevitable death left his mind dazed.

"No... no...it can't, Glob no..." His whispers barely reach his own ears.

As the seconds slip by, he feels something touch his shoulder. Turning, he glimpses a small light, one of the motes. A tear runs down his cheek, the mote drifts over, touching his face. It dims slightly, if he didn't know better, it seems sad. Death never worried him, he knew one day he would die. It was a natural part of life. The fact that saddened him, made his heart ache, was the knowing that his friends and family would have to live with what happened.

_...not too late... _

His eyes focus on the light, still near his cheek. It bobs around, pulling away from him face, stopping before the surface of the window.

"How? What can I do? I've tried to break it, tried to stop him. I can't." His eyes close, the pain inside takes his breath away. "I don't even know if I die will it be stopped."

_...no... death has... no ...hold on him... us..._ Part of him wants to give up, to let things take their course. A smaller part screams that he can't let it win, can't let his friends down. Fight, fight, till the end.

_...yes... fight... _

_... push... him away..._ Finn's eyes open, taking in the mote. It rushes forward, ramming against the window, bouncing off with a soft tink. It bobs around, flashing once.

_...you may die... _He glares at the mote, the hurt inside deepening, almost becoming solid. It spoke the truth, but he already accepted it

_...but he... us... will be pushed back..._

_... returned..._

_... you'll be free..._ It flares again, brighter, again striking the window.

_... and he'll ... will be trapped... _His glaze takes on a hard edge, his jaw tightens. If he could prevent that thing from hurting others, he had no choice. He wouldn't let it harm anyone else.

Light fills the window, startling him into pushing back. The view is chaotic, the world was tumbling. He was falling, surrounded by rubble. Then darkness, or rather not darkness, but the view is blocked by something dark pink. The world spins crazily, he realizes that something was holding him, lifting his body through the air. Again, the view shows the face of the Gumball Guardian, now up close, its eyes starting to glow again. The mote suddenly rams against the window again. It was right, no matter what happens to him, he had to do everything he could to make sure his friends and family were safe. His life was a small price to pay.

Clenching his fists tight, he runs full speed into the window, bouncing back as ripples spread across the cracked surface. More lines appear, more sounds of glass breaking. It couldn't take much more, but neither he could. One of them was going to break, as he sets his shoulders, he just hopes it will not be him.

* * *

Marcy grips PB tight, having to fly around falling chunks of wall. They were as close as they could get to the battle, which now meant they were in danger of being crushed. Marcy suddenly changes direction, shooting straight up, dripping and weaving erratically. Keeping her eyes shut tight, PB holds her breath, not wanting to watch the world soar by. Her stomach was threatening again, she refuses to be sick all over Marcy. They had watched as FP's attacks hit the Guardian across it's glass skull, but it wasn't enough to stop the machine's attack. The lasers still flashed out, striking the wall, reducing it to rubble in seconds. They had seen the yellow and blue figure falling among the debris, but they quickly lost sight when the Guardian bent down in front of them. The Candy Castle was taking a beating, but PB was willing to sacrifice every square inch of her kingdom to see Finn alive.

Marcy levels out, coming to sudden wrenching stop. PB risks opening her eyes, glazing up at the colossal Guardian. It was holding something in its hand, bringing it up level with its eyes, which have started to glow again. Something behind the Guardian catches her attention, a blazing white light rises above the wall. Something about its shape was familiar. Two smaller spheres of fire form on either side, as she realizes what that light was.

"Marcy, MOVE!" She shouts, lifting her arm to point at the inferno that was Flame Princess. Marcy snaps her eyes up, tracking down the other woman's arm just as Flame Princess launches her fireballs.

"Hang on PB!" She shouts, gripping the candy woman hard enough to hurt, shooting straight up in to the sky. Gritting her teeth, PB twists around to look at the Guardian. The white fireballs smash into its chest, staggering it. Flame Princess continues her attack, raining down more fireballs, causing the construct to lift one hand, trying to deflect some of the flaming projectiles. One of the deflected balls of fire smashes into the main section of the castle, burning a hole through the sugary wall. They had to get FP to stop, before she burnt down the kingdom.

Marcy kept climbing, trying to reach the same altitude as FP. She wasn't directly watching the elemental's attack on the Gumball Guardian, but she caught enough to know they had to get her to calm down. She was probably more of a threat to the kingdom by herself than both of the Guardians. Nearing Flame Princess, she starts to feel the heat radiating off the fire elemental, it felt like she was standing out in direct sunlight. Pulling slightly back, she drifts to a stop, lining herself up parallel to the woman. PB shifts in her arms, Marcy loosens her grip enough to allow the candy woman turn and observe scene before them.

Neither of them had seen Flame Princess like this, they couldn't make out her form within the white hot flames surrounding her. The amount of light and heat she was giving off was intense. It was easier to look directly into the sun than try to see her figure within the inferno. Ball after ball of fire rains down, most of them striking the Guardian, some crashing into the candy buildings. Far below, they could see teams of yellow Banana Guards pulling around Firewagons, tackling the fires as best as they can.

"We need to make her stop." PB shouts. Marcy nods, understanding but at a loss of how they could stop the elemental. It was a cloudless day, no rain was forth coming anytime soon. The Firewagons wouldn't be able to reach her this high. If they had more time, Marcy was sure PB could come up with some idea, but time wasn't something they had spare. Besides the destruction of the Kingdom, FP was risking hitting Finn who was still clasped within the Guardian's grip.

"Ideas, PB?" They hover, watching the devastation. Desperation was the mother of invention, or in this case, quick thinking. PB lifts her hand to her mouth, cupping it.

"FLAME PRINCESS, YOU NEED TO STOP!" The Flame elemental shows no sign of hearing the woman, launching two more fireballs. The Guardian deflects another one, sending it dangerously close to where Jake and the other Guardian where still locked together. "Marcy, get closer." Marceline nods, gritting her teeth. The light from the flame elemental was already painful, but they had to stop her. She squints her eyes, drifting closer. Small tendrils of steam start to rise from her skin, but she inches closer. PB starts to pant, the heat beginning to effect her as well. Her skin felt sticky, she knew that she was risking melting from the heat. She squeezes Marcy's arm to get her to stop. Drawing another breath, she shouts at FP again.

"FLAME PRINCESS, IF YOU DON'T STOP, YOU'LL HIT FINN!"

* * *

Flame Princess draws back her hands, two new fireballs ready to fly toward the enormous figure of the Guardian. Fury overwhelms her, the damnable creature refused to buckle under her barrage. She was panting heavily, needing the extra oxygen to fuel her flames. Below her, the Guardian stood back up, glaring up at her. Raising both hands, she draws a deep breath, her flames roaring in her ears.

"FLAME PRINCESS, IF YOU DON'T STOP, YOU'LL FIT FINN!" The words cut through her soul, her flames anger instantly doused by those few words. The fireballs evaporate, sizzling off into black puffs of smoke. Her flames cool, shifting back to their normal reds, yellows and oranges. A wave of weakness washes over her, her form sinking down a foot in air. She turns, scanning for the source of the voice. Floating yards beside her was two figures, Marceline and Princess Bubblegum. They look horrible, both of them were panting. Steam rose from Marcy, Bubblegum looks drippy, like she was melting.

_Where did they come from?_ FP blinks, after running on full blast, exhaustion always tried to claim her.

"Bubblegum? Marcy? What is happ..." She starts, but cut off mid-word as a beam of light shoots between the groups. Marcy and Bubblegum, screaming, drop from the sky in shock. Flame Princess veers the other direction, dropping down several feet before regaining her composure. Snarling, her anger rebuilding, she turns back to the Gumball Guardian. It's eyes were barely glowing, it had to wait several minutes before it could fire again. Gone from her mind was the recent warning from Bubblegum. Rage boiled inside her, fireballs forming in her hands unbidden. With a scream of fury, she launches them at the Guardian.

Marcy regains her composure, stalling her fall. Bubblegum slides in her grasp, the heat from being too close to Flame Princess softened her skin to the point of near melting. She slips through her hand for a brief second, too shocked to even scream. Marcy drops straight down, head first, quickly closing the distance between the two women. Her fingers grabs Bubblegum's, painfully, but with enough force to prevent her pink digits from slipping from her grasp. PB reaches up and grabs the vampire's wrist, twisting slightly. Lifting her head, she watches in horror as Flame Princess hurls down a massive fireball.

"No!" Her scream startles Marcy, who snaps her head up to look over toward the fire elemental. She watches in horror as the fireball streaks down toward the Guardian, who raises one arm up as a shield. The fireball misses its upraised appendage, instead striking its other arm with a small explosion, severing it from its body. The damaged limb thankfully doesn't have far to fall, but it crashes into the village buildings, throwing up a thick grey cloud of dust.

* * *

Finn collapses, panting with exhaustion, every bone in his body screaming at him to stop. _So close, so close_, he thinks, forcing himself to look up at the window. The view was distorted, mostly masked by the large black cracks that cover the surface. The mote was dancing around, pulsing, before rushing against the window once more. Pushing up against the ground, he staggers to his feet, barely able to stay upright.

Drawing a deep breath, he focuses on the window. The colors are shifting around, it was impossible to tell what was happening. Then the view stills, several shapes appear, granting him a clear view of the sky. There was a large white ball of fire, hovering above the castle wall. Off to one side, a black and pink figure floats. It takes several seconds before Finn understands what he is viewing. Flame Princess was firing balls of flame down at him, or rather the Guardian that was still holding him. Just as she readies two more projectiles, she stops, her flames dying down, allowing him a glimpse at her. She turns toward the other figure, probably Marceline and Princess Bubblegum judging from the colors. What ever happened, FP has stopped her attack, hanging limply in the air. The view moves, the picture whites out.

"NO!" He screams. It had to be another laser beam from the Guardian. Unwilling to wait, he lowers his shoulder, leaping forward with a scream. He hits the window with a loud crack, the surface shatters and the area plunges into darkness. Slowly a small light forms, drifting in the inky nothingness. It bobs around for a few, then fades away. Whispering can be heard, soft and delicate, hundreds of voices all sighing at once.

* * *

Shep silently screams, piercing pain stabs him from everywhere, blinding him. Everything quickly fades into darkness. Raging against the pain, he's thrust back into nothingness. A thousand voices join him, screaming out in pain, rage, madness and fury. Then as suddenly as it started, everything stops. Silence, not even an echo. For the first time since his death, Sheppard fully looses consciousness.

Miles away from the Candy Castle, the treehouse of Finn and Jake shakes violently, as if caught it a violent windstorm. Minuets pass and the tree slowly stops its thrashing, returning to its' normal state. Inside, hidden in the dark, the silver blade flares red hot, then cools, scorching the wood surrounding it.

* * *

Jake groans, stretched as thin as he was falling back into the castle wall hurt. He could feel sharp edges of various sizes poking into him, he wasn't sure if they punctured his hide. The Guardian was struggling to stand upright, both of its hands free. Jake was too sore to continue holding them, he was trying to keep its eyes covered to prevent its laser attacks. Abruptly, the massive machine stills, Jake's grip slips, but he manages to keep on its glass dome. From underneath his stretched body, its voice, although muffled, roars out.

"**THREAT NEGATED. EVIL PRESENCE NO LONGER DECTECTED**."

Jake blinks, trying to understand what the Guardian was saying. Was it was surrendering? Did Pebbles finally get control of her defenders? He releases his grip, sliding off the machine's head, falling straight down like a deflated balloon. At the last second, his body pillows out, slowing his decent. He hits the ground with a grunt, shrinking back down to his normal size, lying face down. The Guardian, freed from Jake's body, finishes rising, turning back to its resting location. Jake weakly lifts his head, his eyes scanning the area. He had landed inside the castle wall, missing the rubble. Several Banana Guards were running around in front of him, working to control the small fires dotting the city.

Pushing himself up to his knees, he keeps looking, trying to find out where the other Guardian was. Near the curve of the castle's main wall, he spies a dust cloud. There, towering over the buildings was the other Gumball Guardian. Something was wrong with the giant machine. There were several black marks lining its thin torso, but the biggest defect was it's missing arm. The behemoth, either uncaring or unknowing about it's damage, turns away. As it moves aside, Jake sees several forms hovering in the air. One was black and pink, probably Pebbles and Marceline. The other, a familiar reddish-orange flame that had to be Flame Princess.

"Grod, from the pan to fire..." Groaning, he staggers to his feet, "...oh, this is gonna leave some marks." Wobbly, he starts forward, stumbling. He gets a few steps, slowly coming to a stop as he brain finally kicks into gear, processing the images his eyes fed it. His head snaps up, looking at the figures floating high above.

"Where is Finn?" His heart starts pounding, his mouth goes dry. His eyes are drawn to thinning dust cloud, to the wrecked castle wall beyond. He couldn't watch what was happening behind him while fighting against the Guardian, he's lost track of his brother. Pushing himself faster, he breaks out in a jog, heading to toward the destruction. Passing a group of Banana Guards putting out a fire, he finally breaks into a full run, breathing heavily.

* * *

Marceline feels numb, empty, she can't think. Gone was all her rage, her anger, it left a hallow part inside. Below, her dust cloud raised by the Guardian's broken limb was obscuring her view. Dark shapes of damaged buildings, a lick of flame, but not much else. She looks down at PB, hanging limply in her grasp. At first she wasn't even sure if the candy ruler was conscious. Slowly, she tips back her head. Tears run down her pink face, leaving trails in the coating of dust.

Lifting her head, she looks for Flame Princess, quickly spotting her. The elemental hung in the air, back to her normal self, but she was staring down at the destruction below.

"Marcy, go down." PB's voice breaks her out fog she felt inside, "There's a chance he survived." For a breath, her anger flares back up, this time directed at Flame Princess. Why did FP have to go ballistic over everything? Why couldn't she... and her anger dissipates. FP didn't know what was going on, she couldn't be blamed for trying to help. Shifting her grip on PB, she calls out to the elemental.

"Flame Princess!" The fiery woman whips around, fixing her coal black eyes on her red ones. Recognition dawns in her face, she floats down to the other women.

"Marceline, why were the Guardians attacking?" She feels woozy, exhausted. Her flames dip lower, her coloring darkens, shifting toward deep purple. PB notices, concern growing as she continues to cool down. Marcy opens her mouth to answer FP as she turns blue, her flames extinguishing completely. Her eyes roll back as she plummets toward the ground.

"FP!" PB shouts. Marcy snaps back to attention, dropping from the air like a stone. FP's blue form falls into the dust cloud, followed by the other two woman. From the ground, Jake watches helpless as the three figures disappear into the smoky cloud. Dropping to all fours, he dashes into the cloud.

* * *

Bubblegum holds her breath, waiting to feel the ground under her feet before trying to breathe. The dust was mostly made of sugar, but it wasn't healthy to breath it, the smell would be harsh. Seconds pass as she falls, her vision obscured by the smoke until suddenly the ground looms up at her.

"Marcy, stop!" She pulls up her legs, bracing to hit the ground. With a small jolt, she comes to a stop inches above the ground. Marcy carefully lowers her, then herself. The cloud was beginning to disperse, they could almost make the shape of the castle out. PB steps forward, the ground was clear enough, only small chunks of rubble litter the immediate area. Concealed within the cloud somewhere was the unconscious body of Flame Princess, and she hopes, Finn.

Something stirs in front of her, moving thought the cloud with some force. Beside her, Marcy crouches down, reaching into her belt, drawing the Grass Sword. Bubblegum stares at it for a few, having forgotten the cursed weapon was involved in this affair. Emerging from the cloud was a yellow shape, holding something. Closing the last few feet, Jake materializes from the smoky depths, carrying Flame Princess.

"Oh Glob, I'm glad both of you are ok." PB rushes over to him, kneeling down to feel FP's forehead. She was frighteningly cool to the touch, but breathing clearly. "What happened to her?" He places her gently on the ground.

"Burned herself out, probably." Marcy answers, peering through the dust. PB nods, glad the fire elemental was alright. Unconscious is probably better for all of them, at least until they can locate Finn. Jake looks up into PB's face, he can see the smears across her cheeks. She has been crying? That pit of fear in his stomach grows.

"Where's Finn?" PB lifts her face to the dog, opening her mouth to answer, but is interrupted by the vampire.

"Somewhere in this mess, Jake. Come on, help me look." Without word, he rises and joins the vampire, scanning the cloud. He could see dark shapes, shadows of damaged buildings. _How in Glob are we to find my brother in all this mess_, he worries, but keeps his thought to himself. Beside him, Marcy slides the Grass sword back through her belt, concentrating on sniffing the air. The scent of burnt sugar was heavy, sickeningly thick. At the sound of her sniffing, Jake realizes what she was attempting. Lifting his own nose to the air, he follows suit. PB watches the two friends trying to scent Finn in the thick cloud. Without waiting for it to disperse on its own, the task might be otherwise impossible.

Walking slowly forward, Jake continues sniffing. There was something out there, faint, but it wasn't sugar based. The smell was bitter, metallic. Behind him Marcy follows, breathing deeply. She could smell blood, real blood, not the sugary stuff of the candy citizens. At first she thought it came from Jake, he was banged up and bruised, but she didn't see any blood on his fur. It had to be Finn's. A breeze swirls the dust before them, clearing just enough to see the rubble of a building directly in front of them. A stronger breeze pushes more of the gray smoke away, allowing them to see a long pink tube leading into the building.

"There, Jake, come on." Marcy rises, dashing forward. Jake follows, growing large enough to pick up a large chunk of candy roof. The two of them attack the rubble, carefully digging through the mess. After several minutes, Jake lifts another large section of collapsed roof, stretching it over to the side. He turns back around, his eyes falling across a pool of golden hair.

"FINN!" He shouts, leaping to his side. Marcy spins, seeing the yellow dog jump at pile of debris, darting over. As she appraches, he leans over and picks up a beam, lifting it up. She lands beside him, seeing the pale figure lying trapped beneath. Reaching down, she slides him out, resting him against her lap. Jake lets the beam drop, the thud echoing around them. Finn's eyes are closed, his chest covered in blood, several small trickles leak from his nose and mouth. Jake leans over him, placing his ear against his chest. For several tense seconds, no one moves, neither of them dare to even breathe. Gradually Jake sits up, tears running down his smiling face.

"He's breathing, his heartbeat is strong. He's ok." He sobs, the smile never leaving his doggy face. Marcy just sits there, with the boy's head against her knees. Her face was blank, her eyes clear. _Is he?_

"How can we be sure it's Finn?" She asks, the words spoken devoid of emotion. Jake snorts, startled by her words. Looking at the vampire, he can see the empty look on her face. He opens his mouth, reaching out to her, but she shrugs him away. Looking up at him, her eyes harden. A sudden sadness overcomes her. He stares at her in shock, he doesn't want to think about the implications of her statement. Bubblegum's warning echoes in his head, _"It is and isn't Finn"_. His tears stop, the smile slides from his face. _She was right, oh merciful Glob, she was right_.

"Marcy, I... " His words fail. That pit within opens, threatening to engulf him. He can't move, he can't think. Marcy shifts her gaze back to the unconscious human. If they let him wake up, things could get worse. She brushes a piece of blond hair out of his face. Next time, he might end up killing someone. Could they risk the chance? Was everyone else's life worth saving his? She feels something move against her back, making her reach around instinctively, her hand closing around the hilt of the sword in her belt.

Drawing the Grass Sword slowly, she studies it. It wasn't moving, not shouting warnings. It was still, silent as if it was waiting. Waiting for what? For her to finish things? Jake watches her draw the sword. He wants to reach out and stop her, to knock it from her grasp. There has to be some other way. Tears blur his vision as he closes his eyes, he can't bring himself to move. If this is what must be done, then it must be done. He would give everything, including his own life to prevent it, but she was right.

A picture forms in his mind, cutting through the heartache and sorrow growing. They were standing at the top of a grassy hill, before them was the Grass Wizard who sold Finn the cursed sword. Finn had carved a path up the hill, dicing up everything the Wizard had tossed at them. The Wizard is lying on the ground, laughing at Finn's demand to remove the sword. His brother simply stands there, staring at the blade connected to his arm, finally smiling. Then he just tells the man, "You know what? I think I'm cool with that." The Grass Sword shifts form, sliding up his hand and wraps around his wrist.

Jake's eyes snap open, Marcy is holding the sword over Finn, slowly lowering it down to his throat. He stretches a paw out, halting her progress.

"Jake, it's alright...I don't." He shakes his head, suddenly yanking the sword from her grasp. She starts, letting it slide from her hand. Before she can move to stop him, he reaches down and grasps Finn's hand, placing the hilt of the sword in his palm. Several seconds pass as nothing happens. Jake sighs, sinking back down. Without warning, the blade shifts form, flattening to a long blade of grass, then it proceeds to snake up Finn's hand and coil around his wrist, squeezing the boy's arm tightly. Jake looks up at Marcy, who returns his gaze.

"It's Finn."


	24. Chapter 24 - Realities (pt 1)

**((Sorry this took so long - i kept re-writing it, I was aiming for a point and kept missing it. NOW, I think I've gotten what I want conveyed. I am working on the next chapter now, so hopfully it won't take as long. Comments please? Thanks. ))**

* * *

"I'm sorry I failed you, bro."

Finn's ears pick up the softly spoken words, his mind gradually waking up. He felt odd, cold and stiff as if he had been laying for a long time in one position. A faint echo of a headache surfaces as he moves, stretching slightly.

"You didn't deserve this." The voice spoke again, muffled. He could almost recognize the person speaking. He tries to sit up, only to bang his head painfully against a solid surface inches above him. Falling back with a shout, his eyes snap open only to be greeted by black nothingness. Blinking, he lies there, his breath catching in his throat as panic ebbs into his mind. _Where am I? _

Lifting his hands, he quickly realizes that he's not restrained, rather confined. His hands slide along the surface above him, smooth and cool to the touch. He reaches out, finding the walls less than an arm-span from his body. Kicking out with his feet only confirms he fears. Pushing up against the surface fails to produce any results, it was like trying to move a mountain. _Where am I? What's happening?_

"I'm so sorry Finn, I should have done more." Blinking in the darkness, his sluggish mind struggles to understand what was happening. That voice, he recognizes it. His panic was giving way to dread.

"JAKE!" The words sound abnormally loud, there is little to no echo. "Jake, can you hear me?" Pounding his fists against the surface, he had to get his brother's attention. Some small part of his panic-driven mind was beginning to comprehend where he was trapped.

"Good bye brother, I'll see you again." Jake's voice sounds sad, heartbroken. Completely monotone, like he was trying to show no emotion. That's wasn't like his brother, he was never serious, even when facing death. The words scream in his brain, they sound as if he's saying goodbye, a final goodbye.

Chest tightening, his panic flourishes into full-blown fear, overwhelming him. Striking out, he thrashes in terror against the walls of his cell, seeking some weakness. Some way to escape this lightless tomb. The word stabs his mind, infecting it with a horrifying terror. A scream builds within, threatening to tip the scales and send him into madness. The truth of his circumstance hits home with a depressing finality.

"No! This can't be real. I... I'm not..dead." Abruptly, he goes limp, falling silent. Staring straight ahead into the darkness in front of his face, a tear rolls down his cheek. His words sound flat, the air stale. "Jake, Jake... please, I'm not gone." Nothing answers his plea. More tears spill down his face, their hot trails the only thing he feels in the darkness. _I'm in my grave._

"I don't know what I can say, Finn." He jumps, startled as another voice rings out, this time female. _Marcy?_ "I'm sorry for all the times I messed with you, led you on or ... well, ignored you." Slowly his hands rise up to the lid, pressing his palms into the surface. "I'm sorry for not returning the friendship, the faith you put in me." His lips part, but his throat can't force out any sound. _They think I'm dead._ "For not being there when you needed me. I failed you, Finn." More tears sting his eyes, listening to her words. _What happened? How could they think I am dead?_

"Marcy... You didn't fail me, I failed you. I... I failed you all." Silence is all that answers, if Jake hadn't heard him, he knows neither can she. His hands fall lifeless to his chest, he can feel his heart beating. In the darkness, he can hear his breathing. "I'm not dead..."

Closing his eyes, he tries to calm down, to force himself to think about the last thing he could remember. Pain, darkness, but it wasn't silent, he wasn't alone. A maddening symphony of voices surround him. He can feel the presence of others, feel them moving around him, pressing in from all directions at once. Flashes of color, glimpses of visions race through his mind in a blur. It was a confusing, chaotic, mish-mash of shapes. Familiar, but alien enough that he couldn't place any of it. It was almost as if he was watching it from the eyes of another. Without warning, everything stops and he finds himself back in the inky nothingness. It takes a few seconds before he realizes that there was something directly in front of him. He stares up into black mirror, inches from his nose. A large crack runs down the middle, cutting the reflection of his face in half. Cautiously, he reaches up, stroking the surface. It was real, was it always there or did it just appear.

"Finn..." He watches his eyes in the mirror, confused as to how he can see anything without light. Bubblegum? "Oh Finn." With effort he keeps himself still, listening. "I'm sorry, I knew something was happening, something was wrong, but I couldn't stop it." A muffled sob reaches his ears. "It's all my fault, I should have known. I failed you. I'm sorry." More sobbing, other faint voices, then silence. He blinks, suddenly finding himself plunged back into darkness.

"May you have the peace you deserve, my hero." Clenching his jaw, it takes every ounce of strength and control to keep from screaming, from clawing at the walls surrounding him._ It won't help, they think I'm dead. They have me in my coffin, waiting to be buried._

"Flame Princess?" He holds his breath, waiting. What would she say? "It's time." _Time?_

_...time...to...die... _The voice wasn't heard by his ears, it echoes softly inside his head, stirring up his headache.

"What? Wait...who's there?" Apprehension floods through him, that voice was familiar, he's heard it before. It was comforting and terrifying at the same time. Around him he can hear something new, a faint crackling sound. Starting to sweat, he can feel the air is warmer. Something was happening.

"Anybody, I'm IN HERE!" Panic pushes out logic as the temperature continues to rise. The crackling sound grows louder, the air smells wrong, smoky. A cough tickles the back of his throat. He opens his mouth to shout, to try and get anyone's attention, but laughter erupts inside his skull. Writhing as waves of agony overpower him, his is unable to do anything but scream. The laughter is all encompassing, filling his very soul with its demonic sound. The crackling sounds disappear, fading into the background.

As fast as it began, the laughter stops, the pain fades. Opening his eyes, he finds himself standing before the black mirror, staring into his pale reflection broken by cracks across it's inky surface. Around him, a faint whispering slowly grows in volume, the words are lost in the sheer number of voices speaking. This time there is no pain, no torment tied to the sound. His blue eyes reflect back at him, he can almost recognize where he was, but it seems more like a dream rather than reality. His thoughts are interrupted by a light shinning from behind him. Spinning around, he finds himself face to face with a small ball of light hovering before him. It flashes brightly and the whispering dies.

"I know you." He whispers, reaching out to touch the mote. It flares again as his fingers sink into it.

_...wake up... _Pulling his fingers back, it flares again, this time shining bright enough he turns away, shielding his face.

_...wake up... _Peering between his fingers, he watches as it grows brighter. Behind him, the mirror gives off a threatening crack. Understanding seeps into his mind, he has been here before. Been here and broken free. Another crack echoes as the light grows stronger.

**_...WAKE UP FINN..._**

* * *

Darkness and flames, both fighting. She was surrounded by nothing, but knew there was something there hidden within the inky blackness. Her flames burn brighter, shifting toward white as she tries vainly to burn away the darkness. Suddenly a mass emerges, its pink surface blackened as if by fire. In mounting horror, she waits, watching as the pink mass forms into a long arm, ending with a clenched fist. Slowly it rotates so it's palm is facing up.

Around her, a breeze kicks up, buffeting her. Struggling to hold her place as the breeze turns into a gale, she realizes something was wrong, very wrong. Inside her mind her flames rage, their destructive whispers, begging her to feed them. To burn this thing before her. _Why?_ The massive hand slowly starts to open, the giant fingers curling open like the petals of a flower blooming. Coming to a stop, it presents its contents to her in silence. Her flames sputter, flickering in the wind, but it does nothing to still the excruciating anguish that stabs her heart. Instantly she recognizes the crumpled form of Finn. He was battered, bloody, his golden hair obscuring his face. Worst of all, he was still, lifeless.

_...you... don't...deserve him..._

The words echo around her, deafeningly loud. Her vision blurs as the hand tilts slowly. Finn begins to slide, rolling over on his side, exposing his face. His eyes are open, their once bright blue now cloudy, sightless. Although her fires scream, she feels as if she was plunged into ice water. All warmth flees her as the wind tears at her.

_...and now... you'll... never have him..._

The hand continues tipping, the body slides toward the edge, threatening to fall into the darkness below. Be it the icy wind or shock, she can barely move. Putting every effort into moving, she watches, unable to stop his impending plunge. The wind was shrieking, deafening her. _No, this can't be happening... _Laughter echoes around her, thousands of voices mocking, taunting her. Struggling, she tries to fly over to help him, but something grabs her from behind, tight enough to force the breath from her lungs. Unable to breath, she screams silently, darkness rushing in to extinguish her light, her life.

_...never..._

"Finn!" Flame Princess sits bolt upright, her coal black eyes staring sightlessly ahead. For several seconds she sits there, not moving, not breathing until her vision returns. Slowly, as her sight returns, the realization that she was not trapped in a howling vortex within a sea of black, but rather sitting on a bed in a brightly lit room.

Her head aches, her battered body complains with her movement, eliciting a faint moan from her. Slumping forward, she cradles her head in her hands, fighting against the rising tide of emotion from within. _It was a nightmare, it had to be. _Her mind doesn't want to function, to consider the very real possibility that the dream was more than just a nightmare, that it held some unspoken truth that she couldn't accept. How much of it was nightmare, how much was the truth?

Something under her crinkles, making her open her eyes. Beneath her was some silver material, covering the bad she was now sitting on. Running a hand over the silver surface, it occurs to her the material must be fire proof, meant to prevent her from incinerating the bed. Memories dance at the edge of her mind, fragments that she can't organize. Something or someone took enough effort to put her to bed, making sure she wouldn't damage her surroundings. Carefully, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she looks around, trying to recall how she got where ever she was.

The room was plain; a single bed, chair and a small table. Light filtered in from a large open window. The walls were a light pink, the tile work on the floor as well, but it was the small details that tipped her off. The frame of the bed was striped, the cushion on the chair looked like a gumdrop, the curtains where thin and wispy, like candy floss. She had to be in the Candy Castle, in some personal room as this was clearly not the informatory.

"Feel better, FP?" Startled, she spins toward the direction of the voice. Considering the size of the room and it's lack of furnishings, locations to hide were in short supply. Sliding off the bed, she stands facing the direction of the disembodied voice.

"Who's here?" Something moved on the table, a cup was hovering in the air. Slowly it floats down to the table as the chair scoots back. Taking several steps over closer, she waves her hands before her, searching. There had to be someone there, objects don't normally move on their own.

"Jumpy?" The words are whispered in her ear, causing her to lash out behind her. Flames race down her arm, arcing out from her fingers, splashing across the bed. Thankfully it had the fire proof covering, so nothing more than a few random dust motes flare up in smoke. "Whoa!" Suddenly a pale figure materializes beside her.

"Marceline?" The vampire smiles at her, the tips of her fangs catching her eye. Drifting down to stand beside the beside the fire elemental, Marceline waits for her to regain her composure. Although she lacked a history with the vampire, she knew her habit of tricking others with her abilities. Finn often had told her tales of the various exploits, strange sense of humor and odd appearances.

"Well, glad we had that blanket around. I take it you are back to normal." The fire elemental had her normal coloring back, her flames as well. Hopefully she wouldn't have her temper.

"What happened, I don't remember..." Questions flood her mind, so many that she can't voice them all. Her memories are confusing, jumbled, full of holes. The vampire's face loses its smile, her eyes taking on a more somber look. It was that look which chills her, awakening a dull ache inside that had gone dormant. Fear and worry creep back, followed by their friend, anger. Her errant emotions fueling the flames, she steps toward the vampire, waves of heat rolling off her.

"Where is Finn! Is he alright? What happened? Why were..." She spouts, stepping up to Marcy. The sudden flurry of questions combined with the increased heat take the vampire by surprise. Stumbling back a step, she holds up a hand to stop her.

"Whoa, calm down. Crank the furnace down, FP." FP glares at Marcy, her eyes narrowing in anger. Marceline forces herself to meet those angry eyes, to make the young woman understand they were on the same side. She understands the fire elemental is stressed, confused and worried, but acting out wasn't going to help anyone. If she lets her emotions take control, they were going to have to deal with her in as well. They all were on this emotional roller-coaster, drawn together by their pain and desire to right this horrible misdeed. They would need to rely on each other to get through this mess, whole.

"Finn is alive." Simple words, but their effect is magical. Like a switch, Flame Princess relaxes, her flames dying down. Exhaling deeply, FP closes her eyes, working on calming herself. She needs answers, not action. Satisfied that the elemental was no longer the verge of a melt-down, Marcy floats back to her chair, dropping into it. She was never one to back down from trouble, but sometimes it was better to avoid it in the first place. Tipping the chair back on two legs, she waits patiently until Flame Princess is ready. A hand-full of minuets pass and the elemental finally opens her eyes.

"What happened, Marceline?" Her smile returns as she muses over the young woman. It was amazing that she controlled herself so fast, she must have been practicing. From the tales she heard, she was normally quick to anger and almost impossible to cool down. Her volatile emotions made her a threat to everything around her, friend or foe. As she had proven earlier, even the Guardians couldn't hold up against a fully emotionally distraught Flame Princess. Marcy waves toward the bed, suggesting she sit. FP glances at the bed, nodding her acknowledgement. There was only two pieces of furniture in the room, so her options were somewhat limited. Crawling back on the flame resistant cover, she turns to face the vampire.

"What do you remember?" Marcy knows she is dancing a razor's edge. She needs to know where to start, because Glob knows, FP has so many questions that need answering. For a brief second, FP's face shows her frustration, but it disappears quickly.

"Bubblegum called me back, we talked about the Whispering Blade." She starts, taking another deep breath, exhaling deeply. "You said you recognized it as ...something, Finn hurt himself with." Those words stung, they made that cold pit in her stomach convulse. It hurt now as much as the first time she heard those words. Closing her eyes, she struggles with herself, fighting the urge to demand Marceline take her to see Finn immediately. _How could they not tell me? Why?_ Although she took the vampire's word he was alright, she wants, no, needs to see it with her own eyes. Otherwise, that pit inside was going to continue to dwell within, to grow. Shuddering lightly, she exhales again, opening to her eyes.

Marcy waits, watching quietly. The pain the other woman felt was a shared bond between them. Although they both called him their friend, she knew him longer than FP. Granted, FP had a direct relationship with the human, she was the one to call it off. Her emotions toward him were still strong. _I can remember him pining about Bubblegum's rejection. When FP left, it hit him even harder. Glob it, I wish I pushed him to talk with me._ There was no denying the obvious fact, she still cared deeply for him, probably more than she even knew. _And to think, we thought she would be capable to doing this to Finn. _She felt slightly guilty at the thought. Standing, she walks over to the bed, sitting down on the edge furthest from the elemental.

"I was heading toward the Candy Kingdom as fast as I could. As I got close, I saw the Gumball Guardians were moving." Her eyes take on a distant look, her face twisting into a grimace. "They were ... attacking!" Her eyes glow for a second, remembering the sight of the towering behemoths. Marcy nods, waiting for her to continue. "I... I thought that they were attacking Finn." The glow fades, her mouth droops into a slight frown. She sits there, lost in her memories.

"They were." Marcy offers. FP's frown deepens, but instead of anger, sorrow fills her. The memories are there, but vague, almost dreamlike. When she saw the Guardian attack Finn, everything just fades. She can't properly remember anything, just feeling outrage, hatred and strangely, heartache. The emotions are so strong, so pronounced, she feels as if she was going to die. A single tear escapes, rolling down one cheek to drip off her chin. Her eyes shift over to Marcy, fear evident in their depths.

"Did I hurt Finn?" The question was a whisper, fear stealing her strength. Her coal black eyes gaze into the vampire's. Clearly the elemental wasn't capable of hiding the naked truth of her feelings. Marcy can't help but to smile, defiantly a strange reaction. To her, it proves that this whole affair wasn't concocted by the fire elemental as some perverted revenge attempt against her ex-boyfriend. Flame Princess may be many things, but she wasn't capable of hiding her emotions, her fears about Finn. FP is taken back by her reaction, confused by the vampire's smile. Before she can speak, Marcy answers her unspoken question.

"Not directly. You attacked the Guardian that was attacking Finn. The fighting had come to a stand-still, me and Bubblegum were trying to get your attention, to get you to stop attacking the Guardian." Her words stir memories in the flame woman, she can vaguely remember seeing the two other women floating in the air beside her, looking worse for the wear.

"I sorta remember seeing you and Bubblegum. One of you shouted something about Finn, but that's all... everything is just red then nothing." She watches as Marcy nods before continuing.

"Yeah, that was PB. She was trying to get your attention, but then the Guardian fired at us." FP's eyes grow wide, her hair flares up. Marcy leans back at the sudden rush of heat from her, but she doesn't flee the bed. She was hoping that FP would be able to continue to control herself, she was doing better than she expected from stories about the fiery woman.

"It pissed you off something crazy." She meets the flame elemental's gaze. Written in the woman's black eyes was worry, fear and more. "You lost it. You fired at the Guardian, melting it's arm clean off." It hurt to see the emotion in FP's eyes, she was trying so hard to contain it. The truth hurts, but it was something she needed to know.

"It was holding Finn." Marcy finishes, bracing herself, ready to flee if FP's emotions overpowered her. The seconds tick by and the fire elemental continues to sit there, staring blankly at her. Marcy slowly relaxes as another molten tear rolls down FP's face, splashing against the fire resistant spread.

"I hurt Finn?" Marcy shakes her head violently, unconsciously reaching for the woman. Her hand hovers inches above her skin, she can feel the heat radiating off the elemental. Flame Princess continues to sit there, more tears falling. Slowly her coloring fades to a deep purple, her heat decreases. Remembering how she looked before she passed out, Marcy leans forward, risking a burn and grips the woman's shoulder.

"No, you probably saved him." She offers around gritted teeth, her hand was beginning to smoke. FP gasps, not expecting that bit of news. She pulls back, letting Marcy's hand slide off her shoulder.

"But, if I..." Marcy holds up her burnt hand, stifling any further objections from the flame woman.

"If you hadn't melted its arm off, it may have killed Finn. Bubblegum wasn't able to stop them from attacking. They were detecting evil and reacting to protect the kingdom." FP stews over this bit of news, silently putting pieces of the puzzle together. The events were fresh wounds to Marcy, the memories of yesterday were not going to fade anytime soon. Flexing her hand, the flesh already regenerated, she continues.

"It crashed into the buildings below. It must have taken the last bit of juice out of you, as you fell from the sky like a rock. We couldn't see where you landed, but Jake found you." A slight smile plays across FP's lips as she wipes the tears from her face.

"I probably just ran out of energy. I was going through allot trying to get to the Kingdom as fast as I could." Sniffling, she draws a deep breath, her normal coloring returns. "You found Finn, right?" Her pale face drains of emotion as Marcy nods. Knowing how FP felt, her words are lost to the pain of that memory. That was the second time in days she held his barely breathing body, the second time the fear of his death chilled her undead heart. Only now was she beginning to understand certain things she felt about the kid. _How come the threat of death always makes one suddenly reflect on life?_

"He's hurt, bad, probably the worst I've ever seen. But he's alive." For a second, the two of them sit there, lost in their own thoughts, their shared grief and worry about their friend. Suddenly FP sits upright.

"But why where the Guardians attacking Finn?" Marcy had been waiting for her to get to that part. A small part of her wants to hold the elemental responsible for all of this. To put the blame on someone, rather than some nameless unknown horror. he truth was it wasn't FP's fault anymore than it was her own. All of them had a part in Finn's breakdown. They failed him as a friend, and as such, he got to the point that he tried to kill himself. FP may have known about the Whispering Blade, but even if she called PB sooner, would things have turned out any better? Jake may be his brother, but he wasn't human, he couldn't understand certain things no matter how hard he might try. Bubblegum may have more experience, more knowledge, but she also held the same flaw, she wasn't human. Out of all of Finn's closest friends, Marceline herself was the closest to him in that aspect. Guilt was a tough thing for her to admit, she often lived her existence as carefree to avoid it. But one can't avoid the truth forever, it always came back to bite the hand that hid it.

"Because I think your Whispering Blade got ahold of him." FP tilts her head, Marcy's words reminding her of the original reason behind her frantic trip to the Candy Kingdom. The weapon was still out there, if recent events could be blamed on it, they all were in grave danger. Marcy watches FP, the confusion on her face mirrored by her own.

"After we ended the call with you, we went to go find Finn. He was missing." She runs a hand through her tangled mass of hair. "We tracked him down, but... it wasn't him." Flame Princess's expression grows hard, flames dance in her eyes as her ire rises.

"He attacked Peppermint Butler, " Marcy watches as shock flashes her face, "And Princess Bubblegum. Several Banana Guards, and finally myself." Shock gives way to anger. FP's flames flair, causing Marcy to fly up out of reach. Beneath her, the bed steams, the fire proof covering could only handle so much heat. Seeing FP's reaction wakes up the unspent anger within herself. Marcy continues, hoping to finish before her own anger pushes her too far. "It wasn't him, FP. Trust me, I saw his eyes. It was like looking into nothing, an endless bottomless pit of nothing." FP's anger disappears as one finely arched eyebrow raises in an unspoken question. A chuckle breaks free, dispelling her own anger as she watches FP go from furious to curious.

"He spoke to me. Whatever possessed him was evil, through and through." The other woman just sits there, that strange look of questioning confusion across her face. Although she knows about the elemental and her history, it would appear that the same can't be said in reverse. Marcy knows the young elemental thinks she's evil, but she's nothing comparison to herself or her father.

"You know who my dad is, right?" She asks, floating down to the floor. FP slides off the bed, turning to face her.

"Sorta. Finn said he is the Ruler of the Nightpear, but he didn't go into anything else." Marcy rolls her eyes, leaning her head back. _Leave it to the kid to only half explain things_. There wasn't time, nor did she feel like going into a in-depth description of her father, it would do nothing to improve her current mood. Sighing, she leans back down toward the elemental.

"NightoSphere, and yeah, he is. Let me put it this way, my dad makes your dad seem like one of the Candy Citizens." FP gives her another strange look, not sure that she can accept the vampire's explanation. Reaching up to rub the bridge of her nose, Marcy shakes her head. "Just trust me. When I say something is evil, I mean it." Flame Princess watches the vampire. She may have trust issues with many people, but Marceline had never given her any reason to doubt her. She nods her acceptance.

"Alright, I will." Marceline relaxes, glad she avoided explaining the details of her father. Exhaustion was taking its toll on her, she was the only one who had stayed awake to check up on everybody. _Some red and a nap, I'll sell my Bass Axe for both._

Flame Princess watches the vampire, numb from her emotions. All of this was more than she knew how to deal with, coupled with the danger of the blade and it's unknown future, she was ready to lay back down. As much as her body wanted rest, sadly, her mind was wide awake. There were more questions that she needed answered, but one screams louder than the rest. It hurt to think about it, but the desire to have an answer drives her to push past the pain, the hurt.

"Why didn't any of you call me when... you found... Finn." Her words taper off, she can't bring herself to finish the sentence. Marcy snaps out of her reprise, her gaze rising up to meet the fiery woman's. Swallows, she opens her mouth, then closes it without uttering a word. Turning away, she walks over to the chair, plopping down, resting her elbows against her knees. Closing her eyes, she sits there, listening to the beating of her undead heart. She had been dreading this moment, knowing that Flame Princess was going to ask this question. It was still a fresh wound to her heart, the pain of that night would take more time than three days to heal. _Just like Finn._

The throbbing in her head deepens, it makes resisting the tears hard. She had to be strong, to be the Big Bad Vampire, cold and unfeeling. It was a lie, an age old fib she told herself at an arm's distance from anyone. Although she may be undead-half demon and have the Lord of Evil for a father, it didn't prevent her from having feelings. It didn't make her heart ignore those she dared let get close, those she called friend. It would be easier to lie to Flame Princess, to make up some story about how they forgot, were to too stunned by what happened to consider. Watching the ground between her feet, she feels the tears burn hot against her face. Flame Princess deserved to know the whole truth. Bubblegum wouldn't tell her, Jake couldn't, if she didn't then no-one would. Someone had to start being open about things. _By Glob, if it has to be me, so let it._

"Because, at first, we were in shock." A tear escapes, splashing down on the tiles. "No one expected Finn to do anything like this. Ever." More tears fall, the memories of finding him that night tear down the damn she had tried to hide them behind. FP walks over to her, kneeling down in front of her. She can see the tears flowing down her face, the pain in her eyes. Marcy looks up at her.

"I was the one who found him." FP's mouth drops open. "Jake had called, frantic because he forgot Finn's birthday and couldn't reach him. I went to their treehouse to check on him." Closing her eyes, the scene of their bedroom flashes in her mind. FP reaches out toward her face, stopping short of touching her. A single tear falls on her hand, sizzling on contact. Bringing her hand down, she watches the mark turn brown and smolder.

"I found him, holding that damn blade, trying to thrust it into his throat." Leaning her head down, she grabs twin fists of hair as a sob escapes her. "I knocked it aside to stop him. If I had only know it was the cause of all this trouble." They sit in silence, one crying and the other in shock. FP had been angry they hadn't called her as soon as they found Finn, but she didn't understand the effect that action had on them. Other than a distant glimpse of him on the Castle wall, she hasn't seen him in months. Slowly, Marcy's tears stop.

"At first, we thought you may have had a hand in this." The elemental's eyes go wide, but she bites her tongue, knowing that to interrupt now may prevent Marcy from finishing.

"We later found out that someone altered our calendars, to make us forget his birthday." She swallows, the pain threatening to make her cry again. "To push him over whatever brink he was standing on. Someone wanted him to..." Her voice cracks, she can't bring herself to say the words again. Settling back against her feet, Flame Princess stares blindly ahead. A small glimmer of understanding forms in her pained heart.

"Not just someone, Marcy, something." FP speaks softly, climbing to her feet. Marceline abruptly sits up, wiping her face with a sleeve.

"The Whispering Blade." Flame Princess nods in agreement. "I talked with whatever was possessing Finn, it called itself Legion. It sounds familiar, but I can't place it." Rising, she pushes her emotions back underneath a new damn for now. While Finn was still in danger, she didn't dare let herself breakdown. Not while the threat of this unknown evil hung over their collective heads.

"Nothing I've found refers to it by that name, only the Whispering Blade or The Soul Collector." FP offers, dusting herself off. With no warning, her stomach gives off a low growl. She grips her belly, blushing brightly. Marcy can't help but laugh, brushing her hair back from her face.

"I take it your hungry." She asks, the smile creeping back across her face. Why was it the silly little things that always break a rotten mood?

"Come on, by now the others should be awake. Let's get you some chow, then get down to business." Floating up, she waves for the fire elemental to follow her. Opening the door, she slips outside into the hall as Flame Princess jogs up behind.

"Can I see Finn soon?" She asks, causing Marcy to halt before her. She spins around to face her, the smile was weaker, but still across her pale face.

"As soon as Bubblegum says its safe." FP frowns, Marcy wasn't sure if it was the mention of PB's name or the fact they had to clear with her before visiting Finn. She floats down and faces her.

"I know you have issues with Pebbles, but for now, trust her. Finn did allot of damage last time, she's taken steps to make sure he's safe, both to himself and others." All she can do is hope the elemental will understand, she wasn't here to see firsthand what this being did trying to escape. Next time, someone might actually die. Flame Princess simply stands there, staring up into the vampire's face. So far, she has been honest with her. She might not like Princess Bubblegum, but she had to admit, the woman was capable of a great deal. She doesn't want to rely on her, but she knows that when it came to Finn, Bubblegum would do everything she could to help.

"Alright, for now I will." Marcy smiles at her, glad that she was trying to be responsible. This whole affair was far from over, they needed everyone to trust each other. They had to for Finn's sake.


	25. Chapter 25 - Realities (Part 2)

**All righty then... Yes, I know I'm behind. Sorry it took this long. I was writing this chapter and the same thing as last time hit, I looked down at my screen and realized "Holy Bat Shyt" this chapter had grown to 14 pages (11k words) and I STILL wasn't finished. SO... I broke it in half. Bad part, this chapter is only 5k words, good thing the next chapter is almost done so I should be able to update within the week (maybe even before Friday).**

**Yes, it's slower now, because I have the "end game" in place, I just need to get from point A to point Z, via the rest of the alphabet. This story has grown massively compared to what I originally intended it to be. The beginning of my tale was fast, it was like a fever dream, I had to get it out. Now I find that every time I find time to write, then come back and re-write, I don't like how the tale was progressing. I AM GOING TO FINISH THIS TALE IF IT KILLS ME! Mostly because I won't let myself post any "different" stories until I do. And also, please remember - I have work (40hr a week) and more, as do we all.**

**Lastly - Thank you all for the reviews &amp; criticism. I'm not joking, I want to hear your ideas &amp; views on this story. Your input does drive me to keep at my tale, to make it another chapter closer to my "end game". Comment away, good or bad. It all can help. Thank you everybody :}**

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Chapter 25 - Realities (pt 2)

Something woke her up. Bubblegum stirs under the comforter, snuggling deeper within its downy folds, savoring the warmth. Finding a particularly warm spot, she stills, her eyes still closed, listening. Her eyes pop open as the sound repeats, pushing away the fuzzy vestiges of sleep. Laying there, alone in her chamber, she could just make out faint whispering. Soft, indistinct, but there was no way to mistake the sounds. It was soft, so much so that she can't make out the words. Sighing, she pulls the covers back, exposing herself to the chill air of the room. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she fumbles around with her slippers.

"Peppermint Butler, is that you?" Her voice echoes through the room. Suddenly, the whispering stops, plunging the room into silence. Standing, she waits, listening. Something in the back of her mind raises an alarm, but she can't place what it could be. Nothing around her breaks the silence. Shrugging, she shuffles toward the large set of French doors. Drawing closer, she notices the curtains are drawn shut. Normally these doors were open, if not, the curtains were always tied back to allow natural light into the room. To be both closed and covered was odd, perhaps Peppermint Butler did it so she could rest in peace. _Glob knows I needed the sleep._ Placing her hands on the knobs, she pushes opens the doors, exiting onto the small balcony.

Instead of a bright sunny day greeting her tired person, the day was a polar opposite. The normal azure sky is a sickly greenish-grey, streaked not with fluffy white clouds, rather heavy black thunderclouds. She couldn't tell what time it was as neither sun or moon was visible, no stars twinkled overhead. The change in appearance of the sky would have moved her into action, but the sight from below froze her where she stood. What should have been the Candy Kingdom, displayed out in all its sugary glory, was gone. Replaced by a wasteland of destruction.

The outer wall was in ruins, most of it torn down or crumbled into piles of rubble. The remains of one Gumball Guardian was splayed across what would have been the main gate. It's massive glass head cracked open, it's body blasted, burning with an eerie black fire. Most of the buildings within the walls were either destroyed or burning, a few husks stood partially standing. Those on fire burned with more of the strange black fire, billowing clouds of sickly sweet smoke. The air stunk with the smell of burnt sugar. There was little movement, the few signs of life consisted mostly of what looked like candy zombies chasing after burnt or burning candy people. Several Banana Guards lay where they fell, some burnt to black embers, other being feasted upon by the zombies.

"Ach, mein, Glub!" Shock, soul-shattering in its totality fills her. Stunned, unable to breath, she stares at the remains of her kingdom. The vista below was unreal, nothing could have done this amount of damage without waking her up, either from the noise or someone rushing to notify her. Finally the spell is broken as her lungs draw in much needed air. Gasping, she stumbles backwards, through the doors back into the darkened bedroom. "This, this is impossible! The battle didn't..." Her words falter as memories of the last day flood into her overwhelmed brain. There had been a battle, but nothing on the level that could have caused the havoc outside. Turning around, she steps further into the room, failing to notice the doors close behind her. Only when the room is plunged into darkness does she stop. Holding up a hand before her face, she can't make out its shape from that of the blackness surrounding her. What was going on?

"You... failed..." The voice speaks out from her right, causing her to turn toward the source. Holding out both hands, she flails around blindly, trying to locate anything.

"Who's in here?" She asks, fearing the answer or more importantly, who would answer.

"All of them... all of us...you failed, left us to die..." She halts, the voice has shifted to behind her. Instead of turning, she lowers her arms and waits. Something about the voice was tantalizingly familiar, it was off just enough that she couldn't place its owner. The part of her brain that was trying to alert her earlier is screaming, tugging at her to escape. To flee and get far away. _NO, I don't run like some coward. _

"I failed no one. Who are you? Show yourself!" She shouts into the darkness. They were playing with her, trying to trick her somehow. From around her, something shuffles, scraping against the ground. Holding still, she tries to narrow down where the sound was coming from. It was shifting, moving slowly as if it was dragging something.

"You failed me..." The voice comes from behind her again, it takes all her strength to prevent from turning. Standing there, she was trying to reason out what was happening, because very little of this made any logical sense. Her own reaction struck her odd, she wouldn't want to flee, she would rush to her citizen's aid, ignoring her own welfare.

"I have failed no one." The words are hard to speak, but they are the truth.

"What do you know of the truth? You lied to me... used me... " This time the voice came from her left. Spinning toward the source, she readies herself to face what ever was there. Problem was, she didn't expect to see what, or rather who, was standing there. There before her stood Finn, but wasn't the young healthy young man she remembered. The figure before her was badly injured, his bare chest was crisscrossed with dozens of weeping wounds. His normally golden hair was filthy, tangled and matted. It hung in down in dirty ropes, obscuring his face.

"Finn?" His name slipped from her lips, she never expected to see him like this. The figure before her raises his arm, but the flesh of his forearm rips open, tearing free. With a sickening splat, the chunk of flesh lands on the ground, leaving the bones of his arm exposed. In horror she watches as black fire erupts from the area, spreading up his arm.

"You failed me Bubblegum. You let this happen to me." Stumbling backwards, shock stole her voice. _This can't be real. _The figure of Finn takes a step toward her, the skin of his foot tearing off. Feeling her stomach rebel against her, she tries to continue to back away only to trip over the hem of her nightgown. Landing hard on her backside, she can only watch in horror as the figure moves closer. His second foot moves forward, leaving its skin attached to the ground. As his foot lands, black fire erutps, quickly spreading up his leg. The fire was moving unnaturally fast, covering most of him in seconds. As his hair catches he lifts his face toward her, his solid black eyes glowing with the same black fire that covered his from.

A scream builds in her chest, this wasn't real, it couldn't be. Some sense returns to her as she pushes herself backwards, struggling to put some space between her and the creature.

"I never failed Finn! If you were him, you would know that I would do anything for him, anytime." Her voice is strained, it cracks with the terror she feels. The creature halts, tilting it's head and suddenly starts to laugh. Deep, malignant laughter that chills her to her bones. She starts shaking, still trying to drag herself away from this nightmare. _Nightmare? _

"You area worthless ruler, you care nothing for anyone who isn't under your control. You use everyone, convincing them to do your bidding, unquestioning. You caused my death, dear Princess." The creature was fully engulfed now, the flames burning away all the flesh from his body. The only thing left is a yellowed skeleton, still coated in the black fire.

Opening her mouth, no words came forth. Her voice was gone, even if her mind understood that this wasn't real, the terror she felt was real. The flames spread from it, down across the floor, toward her. Curling up on the floor, she covers her ears to block the unholy laughter that was still issuing form it. Her eyes lock to its, the twin dark globes glare hatred into her. Squinting her eyes shut, she finally finds her voice, the scream ripping out of her as the flames lick at the edge of her gown.

_You are nothing compared to us..._

_We are Legion..._

_You will fail..._

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**_Wake up Finn..._**

"But I just want to sleep..." The sound of his voice wakes him from his sleepy stupor, dragging him from whatever nightmare he had been trapped. Bracing himself, he slowly opens his eyes, expecting to see nothing but darkness. To his surprise, bright warm light greets him. He feels odd, fuzzy, like he was still partially asleep. It takes several minutes of just staring off into space before the realization sinks into is cloudy brain. He's in a real place, some sort of small room. The room is plain, the walls a light pink, lit up with sunlight from a window high up on one wall. Turning his head slightly, he can make out several strange machines, medical stuff if he could believe his eyes. Turning the other direction, he spies a single door with a chair next to it. Other than these few things and himself, nothing else is within the room. _Where am I? Is this another dream?_

Even though he feels strange, he figures if he gets up and moves around, he might feel better. Slowly, not yet fully trusting his body or what his eyes tell him, he tries to sit up, only to quickly find he is held tight to the bed. A memory surfaces, he was in the informatory, thick leather straps binding his wrists to the bed. Struggling, he ties to lift a foot, failing to do more than strain against more unseen bonds. Looking down his body, the sight of his condition chases away some of the fuzziness in his mind. His chest was covered in bandages, leading up to and over his left shoulder. Both arms were bandaged as well, but considerably less than his torso. The sheet was pulled up just past his belly button, but it did nothing to hide the thick leather strap that spans his body. They had him fully restrained, tied down to the bed with no chance of escaping.

"So it wasn't a dream... Did I do all those things I saw?" His voice echoes softly around the space. With no idea where he was, how he had gotten here or where anyone else was, he was left with few options. Unable to move, the best he could try was to attract someone's attention.

"Hello?" His throat hurt, it felt as dry as a desert. Swallowing, he tries to shout louder. "HELLO!" Sudden pain in his chest robs him of breath. Clenching his teeth, fighting through the pain, he forces his lungs to carefully draw air. Slowly, the urge to cough fades, his breathing becomes easier. From past experience, he knows that coughing when his chest hurt, would only bring more pain. Relaxing back, he listens to the sounds of the machines. There had to be someone out there, right? Sleep tugs at him, drawing out a yawn.

_How much of what I saw was real? _The room was peaceful, but if the events he remember took place, what was beyond those pink walls? How much of the castle and the surrounding buildings were destroyed? _Did anyone else get hurt? _Lying there, a strange thought occurs to him. _Was this real?_ _Is this room real? Am I really strapped to a bed, locked away?_

"What have I done? Oh dear Glob, what have I done." He whispers to himself. Strangely, he feels numb, completely out of touch with everything. Distress, anxiety, worry, maybe even anger or fear, but not just blank, empty and numb. His memories are there, hazy and confusing. He can remember seeing the events through that window thing, watching himself attacking his friends, struggling to escape the Gumball Guardians, even attacking that window. Those motes, the voices, the visions they had shown him. It was real, it had to be, there was no other option. Right?

Staring up at the pink tiled ceiling, he watches dust motes dance through the sunlight from the window. All of that must have happened. _It would explain why I am here, I'm tied up like a dangerous animal._ A single tear rolls down his cheek, soaking into the pillow. His friends, his family... _they locked me away because I am dangerous._ _Why? What or whom was controlling me?_

Lying there, he almost missed the gentle warmth that spread up his right arm. Flexing his fingers, he grips the blanket covering his hands and tugs it down. Slowly, inch by inch the fabric pulls down to reveal his arm, sheathed in a familiar green form. There grasped tightly around his wrist was his Cursed Grass Sword. As he stares at his arm in shock, the warmth increases and the blade of grass tightens comfortingly against his skin. Relaxing back into the sheets, he finally lets his eyes slip shut. One way or another, someone would come to him, until then he could at least rest.

* * *

"Your Highness, breakfast is ready." Peppermint Butler calls out, placing the tray full of food on the table. He let the Princess sleep in, as she had a rough night, to put it lightly. Turning back to the door, he limps over and closes it. He was back in one piece, the Candy Surgeons had fixed him up remarkably well. Other than a faint limp and a minor crack across his face, one would never known that he was recently badly injured. Honestly he hopes the crack will stay, it gave him a slightly menacing appearance. Walking back, he muses on the night before.

When he woke up, Princess Bubblegum was just finishing up locking away Finn. She looked like she went a few rounds against the Lich. She still had a bandage across her forehead, her hair was a gummy mess and she still wore her ripped clothing. Seeing her in such a state made his ire rise, darkening his eyes. It would be easy to blame Mister Finn, he had seen the human. There was no mistaking that some evil presence possessed the boy's flesh. He couldn't lay blame fully on the human, part of it was his own fault. If something that evil had made it into the castle, why hadn't he felt it? Struggling off his bed, he raced over to his Princess.

He offered to finish overseeing anything else she needed, trying to prompt her into resting. Of course she fought against him, she was worried that he needed rest, but after nearly an hour of arguments, he managed to convince her otherwise. With the Doctor's help, they got the Princess to retire for the night.

As she slept, he took it upon himself to see to the others, check on Mister Finn, and deal with the damage the fighting had caused. Getting a hands-on view of the damage to the castle and the building, he was impressed with the amount of damage Flame Princess had wrought. It struck him as something short of a miracle that Mister Finn had survived the encounter against the Gumball Guardians. They were not simple foes, Princess Bubblegum had outdone herself with their construction. She would have to oversee their repairs, he wasn't capable nor was any of the other candy citizens, of the complex work they would need.

Shaking himself slightly, annoyed that he allowed such petty matters to distract him, he returns to the chore of opening the Princess' room. Trotting over to the doors into her bedchamber, he cracks them open. The room was dark, he had pulled the curtains last night to block out the sounds from the grounds below.

"Princess, I hate to disturb you, but there are many things that you need your attention this morning." Walking across the room, he pulls open the doors leading to the balcony, flooding the room with sunlight. Although the view wasn't its normal pristine self, the smoke from the fires was gone. The hole in the castle wall was still visible, although one could make out several multi-colored figures climbing across the scaffolding that had already been erected. More figures could be seen below, dashing between the various damaged buildings. Turning around he looks toward the Princess's massive bed. The covers are thrown back, the pillows tossed around, but the bed was empty. It only took a second to spot her pink form huddled on the floor, the sheet pooled around her.

"Princess!" He jogs over toward her. She was curled into a fetal position, both arms wrapped around her head as if shielding herself. Nearing her, he slows, reaching out to grasp her shoulder. As soon as his hand touches her skin, a scream issues forth from her still form. She thrashes out, barely missing kicking the peppermint man. Backing away, he tries to call out to her.

"Princess, Princess Bubblegum. Wake up your highness. Your having a nightmare." He watches as her thrashing slows, the scream tapers off. Haltingly, she lifts her head, pushing herself upright. The nightmare was finally over. Her bloodshot eyes survey the room, landing on the small peppermint man in front of her.

"Peppermint... What the hey?" Realizing she was sitting tangled in her sheet, she stiffly manages to get to her feet. Stretching, she realizes that she must have spent most of the night on the floor. How long was that dream?

"Your Highness, are you alright?" He comes over, heading her toward the edge of the bed. Sinking into the soft mattress, she sighs. The dream from last night was horrifyingly fresh in her mind. Some of it was true, the attack yesterday had damaged part of her kingdom, but it was the extent of the damage that bothered her. Her dream had shown a devastated kingdom, the citizens slain, the structures in ruin.

"I'm fine, just ... had a nightmare." She answers, pushing up from the bed. Turning toward the open doors, the sun light streaming through the doors was comforting. Even this far away, she can feel the warmth driving away the last of the nightmare's chill.

"That's odd, my lady." She looks down at her candy servant. "You aren't the only one who has reported suffering from a nightmare this last evening." He turns toward her wardrobes, starting to pull various clothing out.

"Who else had one?" She asks, walking toward the balcony. She needs to see, to check that this wasn't still a dream. Reaching out, she grasps the railing and stares over the edge, to the buildings below. She knew there was damage, but it was the same as last night, not the total destruction foretold in her nightmare. Behind her, Peppermint Butler lays her clothes across her bed.

"I believe Jake mentioned that Lady Rainicorn and himself had some type of nightmare. He was reluctant to go into details." Walking back to the tray he brought up from the kitchen, he returns to the bed chamber and places the tray on her desk.

"Flame Princess also said something about a dream, although she was more concerned with finding something to consume than explain the details." He pours a cup of tea, dropping a lemon drop into the cup. Hustling over to her, he offers the cup as he continues.

"I take it your dream was not pleasant, my lady." She sips the warm tea, shaking her head slightly. "Do you think there might be some connection between them?" Draining the cup, she offers it back. Taking one last look down at her people, she turns away from the balcony. Peppermint Butler takes the cup without a word, returning it to the tray. She walks toward her bed, eyeing the clothing that was spread across the messy covers. _Did our dreams have a connection?_

"I don't know, it could, but... " She voice fades out as a twinkle from her nightstand catches her eye. Sitting on the stand was her crown, earrings and necklace. Unconsciously, she reaches up to her neck, stroking her bare skin. She had taken it off last night, all of it. Normally she would remove her crown, but not her earrings and rarely her amulet. With none of the protections the pieces, she would have been susceptible to any form of mind control or outside influence. Staring at the crown, the last piece snaps into place. Whatever creature had possessed Finn must have some type of ability to affect the minds of others. It could have been the source of her nightmare, it's last-ditch attempt at trying to disarm them. Reaching out, she picks up her earrings, pinning one into each ear.

"I think you're right Pep, our dreams may be connected." Turning, she watches as he finishes spreading jam over her toast. There was little time for eating, but she knew it would be best, he would just berate her until she complied. He moves aside, pulling out a chair for her to sit. Shaking her head, she meets him at the desk.

"Peppermint Butler, have the others meet me in the conference room in thirty minutes." Picking up the prepared toast, she shoves most of the triangle into her mouth. Taking her time to chew, she swallows then continues.

"It's about time we start learning what is behind all of this." She picks up the other slice, the look in her eyes distant. Biting into the other piece, she turns away, heading for her bathroom. He nods, content that he wasn't going to have to trick her into eating. He gathers the tray as she hurries off, glad at least some semblance of normalcy was returning to their existence. Just before he can exit into the outer chamber, her voice stops him.

"Any word on Finn? Has he woke up?" She asks, her face peering at the candy man around the frame of the door.

"Not yet, he is sedated and fully restrained, but the last time I checked, still unconscious." She nods, withdrawing back into the bathroom. He sighs and continues, heading out of her room into the hall. His curiosity had been raised, dark creatures like what had possessed Mister Finn were few and thankfully, far between. It shared some of the same darkness that the Lich possessed, but different. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew it was dangerous and deadly. If it got possession of Mister Finn a second time, things might take a turn for the worse for all of them, especially Finn. Next time, he might not survive.

* * *

Jake sat on his stool, watching Marcy suck an apple dry of its red. He never got used to the sight of her doing that, it gave him the willies every single time. Finn always told him that she wouldn't try to drain him again, but he still couldn't believe it. _Even if recent events lead me to believe she has feelings, she's still a vampire._

Flame Princess sat on the floor near one of the giant stoves, munching on a bowl of charcoal chips she got from the head Chef. Of course request had confused the poor candy person, he couldn't understand why she wanted them. As soon as he brought her the bowl, she popped one into her mouth, crunching happily. The Chef just shook his head in amazement, showing her where the coal shoot was and how to extract more. He offered up more standard fair to Jake and Marceline before returning to normal duties.

Eyeing the sandwich in front of him, Jake pokes it thoughtfully. He was hungry, but at the same time, he didn't feel like eating. The whole series of events from yesterday still circled through mind, coupled with the horrible nightmare that woke him, killed most of his appetite. The sight of his beloved brother, zombified, made his guts gurgle as a wave of nausea washes over him. He could handle all the crap he yelled at him, it was the truth. He had ignored him in favor of Lady and the pups, he honestly thought Finn would understand, not hate him for it. It was the horrifying part of watching him rot away and burst into flames was that proved too much. With a shutter, he pushes his plate away.

Marcy glances over toward the yellow dog, watching him push away his almost untouched plate. Anybody who knew Jake for any amount of time knew this was strange behavior for the dog. The only thing he loved more than Finn, Lady and his kids was food and sleep. Flinging her apple aside, she floats over to the pooch. Landing beside him, she leans over to stare into his face.

"Jake, this has got to be the only time I've seen you turn down food. What's up, dog?" He doodles on the table with his finger, ignoring the closeness of the vampire. He was exhausted, both in mind and body, to the point he doesn't care.

"I'm worried. I..." He knows what is wrong, but he doesn't want to voice it. To say it out loud would drive home the twisted reality of this whole crunked up deal. He had no idea how to fight whatever this thing was or how to protect his brother, if he could. The words Finn had spoken to him, to leave him alone, to go away, they still stung. Hard in fact, they dug deep inside his heart. His brother was hurt, in trouble and may... die. Even thinking that thought makes him hurt worse, dull ache that he knows will never heal. He ever wanted to do anything to hurt Finn, ever. It just seems that he's failed him, time and time again.

Marcy puts her hand on his shoulder. When he doesn't shake it off, the realization of how distraught he really hits her. It was one thing for her to fight Finn, to find him hurt, but the dog was his older brother. His protector. He must feel like crud, like he's to blame, although they all share a part in this. She knows she'll never understand completely, due to her lack of siblings, but she can share in his feeling of guilt and heartache. Her guilt at missing the warning signs tore at her, reminding her that she wasn't worth the friendship Finn thought they had.

"Hang in there Jake, you know Bubblegum will ..." He shrugs her hand off, hopping down from the stool. Drawing a deep breath, he whips around to face Marcy.

"Don't coddle me Marceline. I know what I have done, how much of this is my fault." Marcy starts to speaks, but he waves her off. "And I know what will happen if _we_ can't do anything to help Finn." He glowers up at the vampire, angry at her, at himself, at everything. Considering everything they have gone through, fought off and won, it would be a stupid little blade that would do him in. Paws clenched in anger, he struggles to fight the tears. Blinking rapidly, he manages to keep the salty drops from flowing. Marcy can only frown down at the dog, sad that he is hurting so much, but also glad that he was facing the truth.

"I'm not, Jake. We all blame ourselves." Well honestly, she has no idea if Flame Princess did, but that was moot. She kneels down to be on eye level with him. "And we all know what might happen." He opens his mouth to correct her, but she grabs him, pulling his face near hers, catching his eyes with hers. "And if it comes to that, than we all will share the responsibility and heartache that will come. Yes, you are his brother, but we are all his friends." He screws up his face as a single tear leaks out.

"I know... I know." Closing his eyes, he stands there, struggling with himself. This isn't the time or place for him to have a break down, they needed to figure out what to do to help Finn.

"Ah, good." Startled, everyone in the room turns toward the source of the voice. Peppermint Butler backs into the kitchen, holding a tray above his head. He shuffles over to the large sink, dumping it in. Turning to address them, he smoothes his uniform. "You are requested to meet Princess Bubblegum in the conference room in twenty minutes." He nods toward them, then marches toward the rear of the kitchen, where the chef was working on some meal. They all watch him leave, sitting in shocked silence. No explanation, no reasoning, just go. Slowly FP rises, dusting charcoal dust from her dress and wanders over to the others, putting her now empty bowl on the counter.

"Is he always that odd?" Jake and Marceline eye each other, then turn in unison to the fire elemental, nodding.

"Yeap, leave it to old P-Butt to make things weird." Jake offers, pulling gently from Marcy's grasp. The vampire eyes him for a second, he forces a faint smile across his face. Marcy returns the smile, standing.

"Come on FP, let's go. Hopefully between the four of us, we can figure out what the Glob is going on."


	26. Chapter 26 - Tales of Woe

**OK, sorry - sickness &amp; work are to blame. YES - this may not be the action filled chapter you all are chopping at the bit for, but it does offer some insights to what is happening and where the story is heading. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 26 - Tales of Woe

Princess Bubblegum opens the door to the conference room, glad that the others were already gathered within. Marceline was drifting above the table on her back, her eyes closed. If she didn't know better, one would think the vampire was asleep. Flame Princess and Jake sat in chairs across from each other, lost in their own thoughts. She closes the door, louder than normal, which alerts the others of her arrival. FP and Jake, stretch and sit up, waiting for Bubblegum. Marcy floats upright, dropping down beside PB as she reaches the table.

She places the box she brought with her on the table, keying open the lock. The lid pops open, exposing the contents to the group. PB reaches in and picks up the first of several necklaces, each holding a single green jeweled pendant. She hands each of them one and closes the box, putting it below the table, out of the way.

"Nice, but what's up with the bobbles?" Marcy holds up her, gazing at the simple green gem. Jake holds his up, recognizing the necklace instantly.

"Whoa PB, this is one of those mind blocking pendants that you had us wear against the Lich. Why are you handing these out?" Slipping it over his head, it settles against his chest. It felt warm, just like last time, but instead of being comforting, they made his fears seem more threatening. Marcy shrugs, slipping hers quickly over her head. Flame Princess was surprised the metal didn't melt, but she too slips the necklace over her head. Heading back to her chair, Bubblegum settles down.

"It is, Jake, and after the nightmare I had last night, I realized that it might help protect us." Marcy floats up over the table, settling in a chair across from Bubblegum. Since she spent all last night up, she didn't know anything about any strange nightmares. She looks over toward Jake, who has picked up his pendant and is staring into its green depths.

"Nightmare? About Finn?" He asks, not looking up from the pendant. Across from him FP fingers her pendant, watching the dog.

"Yeah, about Finn." PB answers, also watching Jake closely. She understands Jake is taking these events pretty harshly, but to have him answer the question she wanted to ask before she could, alarms her. It validates her suspicions, whatever is behind this has some sort of power to influence people's minds. Turning toward FP, she waits till the fire elemental shifts her gaze onto her. Still fingering the pendant, she merely nods to the candy woman, silently answering the same unspoken question. Sighing softly, she leans forward in her chair.

"Then, I highly recommend to keep those on at all times. We have no idea who we are dealing with, nor do we have any idea of the extent of their powers. Any small protection we can get, we need to use." All three of the others nod silently. With the exception of FP, they knew something had possessed Finn yesterday. There was a chance that it could try that trick again, especially if it still was within Finn.

"Alright, down to business." Bubblegum stands up, pushing her chair back. Turning toward the fire elemental, she addresses the younger woman.

"You know more about this Whisper Blade than the rest of us, tell us what you know." Flame Princess muses silently for a second, collecting her thoughts. There was a good deal of information she knew, sadly there was even more she didn't know. Letting the pendant fall from her fingers, she sits up.

"After I imprisoned my Father, I wanted to help the Fire People. Father had done a great deal of harm toward his own people, I wanted to correct his mistakes. I tore through Father's office, trying to find any documents that he had that would help me toward that end. I found a tattered piece of paper that contained a list of various magical artifacts that the Royalty of the Fire Kingdom possessed. After studying it I realized that it wasn't my Father's writing, his Royal Scholar or anyone else's that I knew." Sighing, she leans forward resting her elbows against the table, her chin in her hand.

"I confronted Father about the list. At first he claimed ignorance, but then later told me it belonged to his father, my Grandfather. Apparently Grandfather had sought out these artifacts, seeking to contain them and prohibit their use by the commoners. Father found he list after Grandfather passed away. He had tried searching for some of them, but gave up when many were destroyed or missing. With this knowledge, I started my own search for them." She raises her other hand, small flames dancing across her fingertips.

"I was surprised that my Grandfather was trying to help our people, stories that I overheard always painted a darker picture of him." The flames turned darker, shifting into purples.

"I so started down the list. Father was right, a lot of the items were destroyed, or badly damaged during the time they spent in the Fire Kingdom. Some were still around, those I gathered up or had them destroyed. When I got to the last item, all that was written was the words _Whispering Blade_. No description or information on its whereabouts. Nothing." She snaps her fingers and the flames disappear.

"I again asked Father, but he admitted that he knew almost nothing about it except that it was a dangerous and deadly artifact, an _Evil that makes Evil afraid_. I wanted to find it, to make sure it couldn't bring harm to anyone if it was as dangerous as he suggested. The next day, as I was pacing in my Father's office, I tripped over a stone on the floor. To my surprise, it was a trigger to a hidden door." Suddenly everyone else sits up, this new part catching their attention.

"With CB following me, we went inside. It turns out that it was my Grandfather's old study." Bubblegum leans forward attentively, an archive of Fire Kingdom knowledge was something she would love to get a chance to study. FP can't help but smile, knowing that the mention of such an archive would be something the scientific woman couldn't help but notice.

"It was his collection of tomes, notes, books and other artifacts." She eyes PB, knowing she wouldn't like her next words. "Sadly, many of the items hadn't survived the years. Either their advanced age had caught up with them, or the prolonged exposure to the heat of the Fire Kingdom did them in." PB's face fell with this news. "But some items managed to hold out, one of them being my Grandfather's Journal. In was in there that I found more information on the Whispering Blade."

"He wrote that the Blade came to his attention after he read about it in several different ancient tomes. Those books came from all over Ooo, some even from lands beyond. The ages of the books also varied, from just over a 150 years to more than 600 years ago. He wrote that whatever this artifact was, it was powerful, it was dangerous and it was evil. Much of the Journal was about his attempts in locating the Blade, which he had finally narrowed down to a tribe of Lizard Folk that dwelt within the deep desert over a hundred years ago. This group had found the blade, but fought over ownership, breaking into two separate tribes. They would fight each other, who ever won the battle gained the blade and would sacrifice the losers to it. Apparently this went on for so long, they killed all but one of their kind. That last one took the blade with it, down into their last temple in the middle of the desert, to hide it away." Everyone around the table was watching Flame Princess. She wasn't used to such intense scrutiny from people, at least not like this. Fidgeting, she leans back in the chair.

"He also wrote that it took some time to locate that temple, deep in the desert near what was known as Mirage Oasis. Inside a sand-worn tomb, he found the remains of that last Lizard-person, sitting on a throne, grasping the blade. Although he didn't fully explain why, he had built and brought with him a device to carry away the blade. His notes only state that _No sentient creature must touch the blade, for its Evil needs only one touch to corrupt_. "

"He brought the blade to some dungeon he specially made to house it, sealing it away. Problem was, he didn't say where, only that the map was in the beginning. Me and CB tore the room apart, looking through everything, but didn't locate a map." Sighing, she closes her eyes, remembering how annoyed and angry she had gotten. Re-opening them, she shifts herself back upright and continues.

"It was Cinnamon Bun who found the map. I don't know where, I was just happy to have it found." A sense of guilt was building inside her. In hindsight, she realizes that she should have contacted Princess Bubblegum at that point. She just couldn't bring herself to do it, she wanted to handle things on her own, without any help. Now folly of her stupidity made her understand she should have asked for help, no matter how distasteful or upsetting it would have been. "I sent my Flame Guard to the location on the map, but sadly they found the dungeon breached, the Whispering Blade missing. That's when..." A sudden crash from behind them interrupted her, making everyone around the table jump. Bubblegum was the first to react, leaping from her chair to face the disturbance. Peppermint Butler stood there, his mouth open, his arms hanging limply at his side. At his feet was a tray full of cups and a now broken tea kettle. Jake jumps out of his chair, FP does the same. Marcy flies up and over the table, landing beside the still candy servant. PB quickly joins her, dropping to one knee before him.

"Peppermint, what's wrong?" She reaches out, grabbing his shoulder, which seems to break the spell he was under. Shuttering, he snaps out of his shock, closing his mouth. Looking around, he notices that the room has gathered around him.

"My deepest apologies, your Highness. I was bringing you some tea, thinking that you may be parched." PB nods, it was understandable, they had already been in the room for almost an hour. "I hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but please, excuse me if I ask, but where you talking about the Whispering Blade?" Bubblegum stares at her butler in shock, it never occurred to her to ask him if he knew anything about the artifact. Marcy leans over, peering directly into face of the little candy man.

"Yes, what would you know about it?" She asks, watching for his reaction, suspicion written across her face. What was the chance that someone in the Kingdom would know about an ancient evil... Her mind halts mid-thought. _Of course, P-Butt isn't the typical Candy citizen. He's one twisted little sucker._ A smile replaces the suspicion on her pale face. He smoothes the front of his uniform before answering, turning to face PB.

"I know very little, but I do remember reading about it in a book I own." Before he can finish, PB stops him with a upraised hand.

"Do you still own this book?" The look that crosses over his pink and white striped face was a mixture of horror and fear. She knows he dabbles in magics that most people would consider dark, possibly evil. As much as he tried to keep it a secret, she knew about it shortly after he started. By accident, she walked in on him trying to send back the demon his had summoned, struggling with the magic. She was able to assist him, but gave him quite the earful afterwards. He swore to the Four that it was a hobby, nothing more. He only took it up to try and help her protect the Candy Kingdom. She never could tell if it was a lie or not, but she let him be. She had her dark side as well, but made him promise to not do anything dangerous without notifying her first.

Drawing a steadying breath, he nods, turning without a word. Heading out the door, Jake runs over to the open door and watches the candy man walk away. Turning back into the room, he watches PB and Marcy return to their chairs. FP simply stands there, looking between the three of them, clueless about what just happened.

"So... we just wait for him to come back, if he does?" He asks, walking over to PB's chair. She leans back against the hard back, massaging her temples. Her head was aching slightly, but not enough to start a headache. After a few seconds, she reaches over and pats his head, smiling at him.

"Yeah, it shouldn't take too long." Marcy floats over them, drifting back to her chair. Dropping into it with a grunt, she swings her feet up and drops them on the table top.

"He's one twisted sucker, Jake, you know that." He wrings his paws, nodding at her. Of course he knew, Finn and himself had spent nearly two weeks avoiding the creepy candy fellow after their trip to the Dead World to retrieve the soul of Bubblegum's plant. He never did figure out why the candy man finally left them alone, but he was glad he did. Walking back to his chair, he stretches up and plops down, still worried.

Minutes later, the door cracks open wider and Peppermint Butler enters, carrying a oversized book in his arms. Marcy leaps up, leaning forward against the table. PB rises, going over to help her servant, but he moves away from her grasp, avoiding letting her touch the book. With a final effort, he dumps the book on the table. Taking a second to smooth his coat, he climbs up into a vacant chair.

"Is that what I think it is?" Marceline asks, her voice betraying the surprise her face lacked. The small candy man merely nods. Marcy floats up, going over the table and landing beside him. PB comes up on the other side of the chair, studying the massive tome. The book was monstrous, the cover was composed of several random pieces of thick leather, stitched haphazardly together. There is no title on the front nor the spine, but several red bookmarks stuck out the sides. On the cover, a large metal skull grimaces, sharp teeth gleaming in the light. Marcy reaches out, Peppermint Butler slaps her hand as it gets close to touching the book. Hissing as she draws her hand back, glowering down at the candy man.

"Yes it is, Marceline. A copy, not an original, sadly. Please refrain from touching it, the lock will bite." She rubs her hand, eyeing the metal skull carefully.

"You know, if my Dad knew you had this, you and it would be in the bottom of some dark pit, never to see the light of day again." She can't help but teasing the candy servant, even just a little. He looks up at her, there was a touch of fear on his face, but just a touch. They both know the value of the tome, it probably cost the lives, and skin, of many in its construction.

"That I am aware, thus why I must ask you to keep this from him. If I might be so kind as to ask." She smiles, letting a soft giggle escape. Her dad would be furious at her if she kept such a secret from him, but then again, he should be more careful about letting copies of his books escape his notice. She lifts a hand to mouth, acting as if she was zipping her lips shut. Peppermint Butler nods, turning back to the book. With no warning, he sticks his finger into the open maw of the skull, which promptly chomps down on his digit, piercing the skin. It's eyes glow red, then the lock snaps open as its jaw releases his finger. Pulling open the cover, he flips through the yellowed pages quickly, searching. Finally he lands on a page with a picture of a small blade. It was delicate, double edged and looked innocent. Below the picture was words, but in a language few of them understood. Putting a finger against the page, Peppermint Butler starts reading out loud.

"The Whispering Blade, also known as the Reaper of Souls, Soul Collector or Legion." Marcy's eyes flash red at those words, memories of that thing that had addressed her with that name, wearing the body of her friend. "This item appears to be an innocuous weapon, dual edged, finely balanced and razor sharp. It typically can be identified by the strange ethereal whispering that can be heard in the vicinity. It is considered to be extremely dangerous and should be approached with caution, if not totally avoided if at all possible."

"The origin of the weapon is unknown. It first was reported over 800 years ago, in the possession of a hermit by the name of Korulen. He claimed to have found it grasped within the hand of a skeleton. The hermit went insane, although it is not known if the weapon caused this or he was already insane before obtaining the item. He was reported to attack every person who he came in contact. Shunned by others, he disappeared only to be found dead years later, apparently by his own hand. As the blade was missing, it is not known who gained possession of the weapon. From this point forward, various sightings have appeared throughout the next several centuries." He pauses, scanning down the page some before continuing.

"It is speculated that the weapon is the physical receptacle for a powerful Pre-War demon, but no one has been able to do extensive studies on the weapon without becoming mentally unbalanced. Almost all known creatures who have come into contact with the blade have become insane, most rather violently. It appears to be capable of altering the mind of its welder, turning previously good aligned persons, evil and vice-versa. Due to the recorded histories of previous welders, it appears that the weapon has an intelligence of its own and will attempt to exert control over the being who holds it, to the point of possessing said person." Again he stops, flipping the page over and scanning down it.

"All caution should be taken if one is confronted by this weapon, either by itself or being used against oneself. The blade has also been called the Reaper of Souls or Soul Collector due to its ability to devour the souls of all creatures that are struck down by the weapon, as well as the welder of the blade. Many welders have been reported to have used the weapon against themselves. Those terminated by outside forces or agents are presumed to suffer the same fate." He scans further, skipping over whole paragraphs and pictures. Some of the pictures are strange, they depict strange creatures and what looks like ancient drawings. Finally he finds another section and continues.

"The other known name of the weapon, Legion, comes from those who have been possessed by the entity contained within. It is the only known name that it refers to itself, the other names have been assigned to it by those who survived contact with a welder of the weapon." He starts reading, flipping more pages. Bubblegum looks over to Marceline, who is staring down at the candy servant. Gone was the mirth from earlier, her face now pale and drawn. Jake has been sitting quietly, fiddling with his paws, whining softly to himself. Flame Princess is sitting, her hands folded in her lap, staring down at them. They all are worried, they wanted to know more about what they may be facing, none of them expected this.

"Is there any other information?" Bubblegum asks, walking back to her chair, flopping down roughly. Her head was beginning to hurt worse, the headache reminding her that less than twenty-four hours ago she suffered a mild concussion. Peppermint Butler looks up, a frown locked to his face.

"There are several sections that basically reaffirm to avoid contact with the weapon. It also states that all previous attempts at sequestering the blade have failed, although no one has tried to destroy the blade itself. It's unknown how it escapes imprisonment, but apparently has, repetitively." He flips the page, running a finger across the page. "The next pages are various tales of previous owners." He goes quiet, reading through the material. Marcy leans closer, reading over his shoulder. She was surprised at the lack of information that even this rare tomb contained. Considering its magical nature, she truly expected more. Perhaps because it was a copy, not an original, that was the issue.

"Interesting," Peppermint's voice breaks her thoughts, bringing her back to focus. "There is a record of a island kingdom that existed some time ago. According to this, the ruler was kind and generous, his kingdom was peaceful, sharing its borders with several other kingdoms with no major conflicts in its history. All this changed when someone had gifted the King with the blade as a present when his youngest son was born. Within years, the King had changed significantly, turning into a vicious despot. He jailed his council, executed his wife, and drove his sons into exile. Then he turned on his neighbors, attacking with a powerful army that arose from seemingly nowhere. All that he conquered were destroyed or forced into a life of slavery. This also included his own population, whom he over taxed and practically starved nearly to death. Ironically, it was his youngest son, who lead the rebellion that slew the King. There is no mention of what happened to the blade afterwards." He pushes back from the book, knocking into Marceline, who just floats up over him.

"Here's something that might interest you FP," Marcy starts, reaching down to tap the page. The fire elemental looks up, her curiosity piqued. "Turns out that someone from your Kingdom got a hold of blade at one point." Peppermint Butler looks at the section in question.

"Indeed, it doesn't list his name, but he came into the possession of the blade by accident. This must have occurred some time ago, during what is referred to as the Frozen Years." The two of them look up toward the elemental. She stands, her eyes lighting up.

"Yes, that happened many centuries ago. Great sheets of ice came from the Ocean, along with a numbing cold. It was one of the main reasons we of the Fire Kingdom left the comforts of our lava fields for other lands. Many people perished, most simply left, but a few brave souls stayed to try and melt the ice." Biting her thumb, she racks her brain, trying to remember. Suddenly, the memory surfaces.

"Those who stayed behind spoke of one of their number who found something within one of the icebergs. It was never stated what exactly, but they claimed the one who found it went crazy. He wanted to stop the others from melting the ice." Leaning against the table, she watches as Marcy gazes back down at the book.

"Yeah, it says that a fire elemental, one of many, who had stayed to defend his kingdom from an influx of glaciers, found the blade encased within the ice. After recovering it, he changed, no longer helping the others melt the ice, but rather attempting to convince them to allow the ice to cover the land. When they refused to stop, he attacked them. They fought back, cornering him, but were unable trap him. Whoa..." She stops, reading silently for a few seconds before continuing.

"It says that he tried to tell them, _"A great evil has come, within the heart of this cold. If we don't allow the cold to reclaim it, all will suffer at its hand."_ The others didn't understand but wouldn't stop their efforts at melting the ice. Forlorn that his brethren wouldn't listen, he flew out over the open water and plunged the blade into his chest, falling into the sea. In the icy waters, his body solidified, trapping the blade within his corpse. The others continued their onslaught unaware of his selfless sacrifice." She looks over to FP, the fiery woman was standing there, her mouth agape.

"Our history has none of that recorded, only that they finally managed to raise the temperature of the ocean water so the ice stopped coming. With no ice, the warmth returned and the Fire People returned to our kingdom." She sat on the of her chair, stewing over the information Marcy read. Those who stayed became national heroes, gaining royal titles. Her family linage drew from one of their number. _But why was that event ignored by my people? _Shaking her head to clear it, she files away the information for later. Now was not the time to worry about her people's ancient history.

"Here's mention of those lizard people your Grandfather found. They were called the Lizard Folk of Merkket." The tale in the book was similar to the one FP had told them. Sadly, nothing in it offers the information they are looking for. Marcy lands, stretching. They had been in here for some time now, all of them look tired and lost in their thoughts. Even with the book, information on the blade was limited. Worse still, nothing so far had offered any hope of freeing Finn from its clutches. _Perhaps we've come to a dead end_, she thinks, cringing at her own words.

"Ah... now this is interesting." Peppermint Butler says, face buried in the book. "It might be a clue to help us." Those words where what everyone had been waiting to hear. Even Jake, the most morose of their number, seems to cheer up at the candy man's utterance.

"What?" Bubblegum groans, wincing as pain rolls through her skull. These stories are curious, but they don't seem more than cautionary tales. Nothing so far was of great assistance toward their goal of helping Finn. There had to be something. Another moan works out of her as her head throbs again.

"Ice. There are several stories about the blade's exploits with a group of nomadic people that lived in the Unknown Lands, north of the Ice Kingdom. The first is about an outcast who stumbles upon the blade, buried in an ice cave. With it, he gains control over a group marauders, organizing them into a impressive force that plays havoc over the local tribes. Over time, the attacks draw the isolated groups together, allowing them to grow number to repel the marauders. Together, they set up an ambush put a stop to the bloodshed. Their trap works, sealing the marauders and their leader in the very cave he found the blade." He pushes up from the book as Marcy rejoins him, tapping his finger on a certain paragraph.

"The next talks about a girl, orphaned at birth. She was trying to find a place within her tribe as a hunter, but wasn't able to bring down any prey. While out on a hunt, she finds a frozen cave full of bones. Buried underneath a pile, she finds the blade. Returning to her village, she offers the blade up to the Elders, hoping it will win her praise. Instead she finds herself cast out with no explanation. Not understanding why her people have turned against her, she comes up with a plan win her way back. Unable to catch prey, she chases away the local game. This leaves only the village's livestock as the remaining food source. With no other prey but the livestock, a large local predator shows up and starts attacking the people. The villagers form a hunting party to track down the beast, but find her surrounded by bodies of both the villagers and the beast. They refuse to listen to her pleas and attack her. Injured, she crawls away into a different cave to die." Marcy eyes the page below his finger, there was only a few more paragraphs left in this section. Where Peppermint Butler stopped, she continues the narrative.

"The last story starts with an earthquake destroying the village, driving those who escaped into a large ice cavern. They try to recoup, but another earthquake causes a cave-in. Less than a third survive, heading deeper into the cave. One of the survivors, an older mercenary turned hunter, finds the blade near a frozen body while searching for an exit."Reading ahead, Marcy gasps, startled by the description of what happens next. The others watch as a strange look of disgust slowly settles across her face. After several minutes of silence, Flame Princess stands, leaning against the table.

"So, what happened? Did they survive?" Marceline looks over to Peppermint Butler, the two of them share an unspoken agreement. The others needed to know, but they could be spared the more gruesome details. Marcy looks up at the fire elemental.

"Yeah, they did, but they had to... improvise." FP stares at the vampire in confusion. Jake stands up, growing large enough to tower over the table, annoyance written across his face.

"Improvise? Spill it, Marceline. What the Glob happened?" He puts his paws on his hips, leering at her. Sighing, she shakes her head and continues.

"The others turn toward the hunter who found the blade for leadership. Once their food ran out, they relied on the next thing they had available." Both FP and Jake stare at her, not catching the implications of her words. Bubblegum on the other hand, has a idea about what she is hinting.

"They went cannibalistic." Jake's mouth drops open, Flame Princess's face grows pale. They turn toward the small candy man beside her, who merely nods his head in return. Jake flaps back down into his seat, shrinking back to his normal size. FP grows still, wondering how a group of people could do something as drastic as consuming their own. Marcy turns toward PB, who has closed her eyes.

"The hunter used the blade to keep them alive. Eventually another earthquake cracks open the ice and they make their escape. The books lists _only 2 hands of us are left_, but they make their way to a nearby village. Once confirming the survivors are safe, the hunter returns to the cave, making his way back to where he found the blade. Shortly afterwards, another quake reseals the cave." Marcy steps back, thinking over all the information they gleaned from the book. It wasn't much, but there were some clues. Peppermint Butler closes the book, re-locking the cover. Silence spread through the room as the group collectively thinks about everything they learned.

"Fine, but why do you think ice may be the answer?" Jake asks, shaking himself from his stupor. He stands, starting to pace around the room to vent off some of his pent up anger. Marcy watches the annoyed dog, her mind working overtime.

"Think, those last stories happened a very long time ago. They all started and ended with the blade trapped in ice. Next person who found it..." FP looks up, her mind already grasping the direction Marcy was leading.

"The Fire Elemental who was melting the ice near the Fire Kingdom. He trapped it within himself, remember?" She leans forward, wondering where Marcy was going with her line of thinking.

"The book says no one has tried to destroy it, at least intentionally. I would think plunging it into the body of a Fire Elemental might melt the thing, but it didn't. Somehow, it survived and made its way into new hands. There were more stories in there than those few, it passed through a lot of hands over the years. Yet other than the time it spent frozen or trapped by those Lizards in the desert, it passed into new hands relatively fast." Bubblegum lifts her head, forcing her aching brain to work over Marcy's theory.

"I wonder why no one has tried to destroy it?" The others turn toward the candy woman, even Jake halts his pacing long enough to regard her. "Even if ice is capable of locking it away longer than other means, why didn't anyone just destroy it. FP, your Grandfather must have thought about that." The fiery woman shakes her head.

"Nothing in his journal mentions anything about it, only his attempt at sealing it away." No one speaks, they all wait pondering this new dilemma. Peppermint Butler jumps down, reaching up to grasp his book. Just as he slides the massive tome from the table, a thought occurs to him.

"Perhaps it has more to do with the fact the Blade itself may just be a receptacle for the entity within." Four sets of eyes turn toward the candy man. Shifting the weight of the book to better carry it, he heads toward the door. "If that is the case..."

"Then destroying the blade may release the creature within." Marcy finishes his sentence, as her mind slips that last piece into place in her mind. PB pushes herself up out of the chair and turns toward the door, watching her servant make his way toward the door. Peppermint Butler stops as a shutter passes down his candy frame, turning back to catch Bubblegum's gaze. Knowing him for as long as she has, it was easy to tell he was unnerved by the revelation.

"Perhaps it would be best to confine the item rather than destroy it." He nods acknowledgement at her words, turning away and pushing through the door. Running a hand through her hair, she turns to face the others.

"Containment." FP opens her mouth to speak, but PB keeps going. "Even if its temporary may be best, we don't fully understand what this thing is, do we dare take the risk of allowing unrestrained access to Ooo?" All of them shake their heads in collective agreement.

"So, if ice contains it..."

"Then looks like we need to go talk to Simon." Marceline finishes for PB, a faint smile now gracing her pale face. Jake groans at her words, muttering under his breath as he resumes his nervous pacing. FP manages to keep silent, but rolls her eyes in disgust. PB just sighs, fully understanding the task the suddenly looms before them. Then a even more important item dawns to her.

"Yes, we probably will need to talk to Ice King, but there is another important thing we need to do first." Marcy tips her head, wondering if PB was just attempting to avoid dealing with Simon's craziness. Straightening up, PB twists her shoulders, trying to work the ache from her spine.

"We need to find the blade first."

* * *

**Now, before every screams bloody murder at me, allow me to offer a few things:**

**Yes more adventure is coming, but remember everything up to now. Finn is not well, body or mind. If they want to save him, they are going to have to address what has gone on with him as well as what they feel about everything that has occurred in the story so far. **

**The next few chapters are gonna be touchy-feelie stuff, but I'm basing it on my views of the relationships he has with each of the others. AND no, it's not gonna be a "pine feast" of lovey-dovey stuff. It's gonna be darker than that. ((PS: if anyone has some ideas, I'd love to hear them.))**

**So, the ****_feelz_**** will flow, then we get to drag Simon's special brand of crazy into this crunked up deal.**

**And don't forget... Sheppard isn't gone.**

**I'll probably update a partial chapter soon. **


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27 - Hope Springs Eternal

* * *

**I'm SO Sorry that it took me SO long to get the next part going. I've been stupid busy at work, sick, etc... and such not. I am working on both updating the earlier chapters and adding more to this end of the story. I have tons of half-written notes and quick outlines on where I want to go, I'm just having some difficultly getting there.**

**Comment, hate-o-grams, etc and more welcome.**

**Thank you all for waiting. I'm not giving up yet! This story will be finished!**

* * *

Voices. Hundreds of them. All whispering from the darkness, singing forth a hunting melody in an octave beyond the ability of most creatures to hear. Their words drift, lost among the inky blackness, undecipherable. Slowly, small points of light start to form in the darkness, twinkling like stars. As more and more form, two larger points appear, brighter than all the others. Their color shifts, changing from soft white into a sickly yellowish green. Around them, the darkness coalesces, deepening, flowing together into the vague impression of form. It stood tall, upright with a defined head, shoulders and torso; the shape of a man.

The twin yellow orbs blink, becoming eyes of this creature. It's form seems to lack definition, flickering as if the whole surface of it was alive, possibly made of flames. The eyes stare blankly forward, soaking in the vast visa before it, the growing sea of lights. The whispering builds, the voices altering in pitch wildly, their words almost can be understood. From nowhere a wind rises, tugging against the surface of this creature. Slowly, this being raises one arm, the darkness pulling away to expose the weathered bones of its forearm. Turning it's palm upright, it holds this hand out. Before it, one of the smaller lights moves, pulling away from the mass, drifting toward the waiting hand. Haltingly, the light lands in the outstretched palm, pulsing softly. The creature's boney fingers close around the light, which shrinks down inside its grip.

"So... you were the one who helped him." The voice is clear, the tone sharp and demanding, the voice of a man who took no quarter from anyone or anything. The small light flares once, causing the hand to grasp it tighter. "You dare defy my will, to dare hope for escape?" He draws the light closer, the yellow eyes boring deep into it. The light dims, but then flares up, pulsing with a strong beat.

_...you failed..._

Anger flares in the yellow orbs as the wind gusts stronger, blowing away more of the dark fire that dances across its skeletal form. The skull grimaces down at the soul within its grasp. He knew which of the thousands of souls it collected throughout the ages sat there. This wasn't the first time it had tried this ploy, although this time it did cause him a setback. Around it, the whispering has fallen silent.

"Not yet, little soul." He closes his hand tighter, feeling the warmth of the soul struggle, fighting against him. Instead of the soul's light growing dimmer, it flares and strengthens, fighting back with all of its will. If he still had flesh, a smile would be gracing his lips at its folly.

"I have all the time in creation, do you really think I will fail?"

_...you will... he shall end you..._

Laughter, cold and cruel echoes out of him. The sea of lights around him dims, leaving only the light of the soul he held to illuminate the darkness. He thrusts out his hand, crushing down on the soul within. He waves his other arm, extinguishing the flames dancing across that limb.

"He cannot end me? I have existed for eons, long before the first of his kind crawled from the forests into the light of day. What chance does he have against me?" His voice, tinged with anger booms throughout the emptiness. He squeezes his hand, rage blinding him to his actions. Nothing stirs in the darkness as he stares down at his closed fist. As much as he hates wasting one of his hard won souls, this little upstart needs to be cleansed from his realm. Opening his boney fingers, he expects there to be nothing left of the soul there, but there in the center of his palm was a small dot of light. It was pulsing weakly, but he could still feel the warmth of life from it.

_...he will end you..._

Roaring, he flings the light away. It sails out into the darkness, fading from his view. Standing there, he glowers into the nothingness, his eyes glowing with an unholy light. Gradually the whispers return as the other lights reappear, leaving him standing once again in a sea of stars. Flinging back his head, he roars out.

"_**We are LEGION! Nothing can stop us**__._"

Deep down inside, where the last vestiges of the man once called Sheppard hides, he knows the truth. A faint glimmer of hope shines into his hell, offering him the dream that this nightmare of existence might finally draw to a close. The anger, the rage of his betrayal, it still stung, still fuels his desire for revenge, but time has blunted the pain of his heartache. The centuries have given him more than enough time to regret his choice, his one shining moment of stupidity.

This boy has done something no other creature, including himself, has ever done. Escape. Up until now, no living creature has survived possession by Legion, let alone manage to escape his influence. As much as he wants to muse on the events that have lead to this point, he knows the longer he does, the more chance the demon will hear. He knows that soul spoke the truth. Legion's time may finally be drawing to a close, his end is near.

* * *

Bubblegum rubs her temples, trying to ease the headache that had sunk its teeth into her skull. Her mind was working through several scenarios, working over the options of how to transport the blade and if possible, long term storage. All the various choices fanned out inside her head, some of them better suited than others, but all of them moot until they could locate the object in question. Whatever plan they went with, they would need backups, in case events change along the way.

"So it's just missing, right? You said you checked the treehouse." Opening her eyes, she squints at the elemental, who was standing with both hands planted on the table. There were mild scorch marks around her hands, but thankfully nothing more.

"Yes and no. It wasn't where I last saw it, but we haven't turned the place underside down searching." The words came from Marcy, who was leaning forward, her head resting on her folded arms. Lifting her face up, she sighs deeply. Those memories still haunt her, the sights replaying every time she closes her eyes. Complied with the more recent events, guilt weighs heavy against her heart. She wants to do something, but her weary mind is coming up blank.

"Then, we should go and search the house better."

"And what if it's not there?" Pushing up, shaking her head, she has to remind herself that this wasn't the time for self-loathing. They had to change tactics to deal with this threat, to stop it before it can cause any more havoc. "This thing seems a lot more capable than what a simple weapon ever should be. Even a magical one. For all we know, it's left and we may never find it again." Flame Princess snorts, throwing her hands up into the air in frustration. Falling back into her chair, she glowers at the vampire

"So what do we do? How are we going find it?" She looks from the vampire to the candy woman. Although the candy monarch looks like she might be asleep, Flame Princess knows she is listening. "We can't just sit here, doing nothing!" She finishes, nearly shouting, unaware that her rising emotions is causing her flames to fan higher. For several minutes, silence grips the room as all those within ponder her question. With a faint sigh, Jake speaks up.

"We ask Finn." Marcy turns her gaze from the elemental toward the yellow dog. Surprisingly, she somehow knew that Jake would be the first to voice that option. He knows firsthand the current state of Finn and how deadly Legion could be. Sadly it might be the only valid choice they had left. Sighing, she nods, looking over to Bubblegum., who sits still in her chair, her eyes closed.

"He might know, although I fear..." Her words dissipate on her tongue. PB was there the last time they tried to question Finn. They both understand that it was the trigger that allowed Legion to possess him. To question him again could risk it to happen again, or worse. Bubblegum shakes her head, willing her eyes to open.

"Jake's right. Even if we tore the treehouse down, we might not find it. The only person who may know, would be Finn."

"Finally! So can we ask him?" FP, now calmer, leans forward, her hands back on the table. Bubblegum shakes her head, raising a hand before the elemental can voice her objection.

"At last check, he wasn't awake." She pushes herself up from the stiff back, leaning forward to address all of them. "And we have to consider that he may either not want to tell us," These words cause all of them to turn their sights toward her. "Or worse, can't." Marceline frowns, putting her head back down on her arms. "There is a chance he won't know." So many unknowns, too many variables to take into consideration. They needed data, hard facts and sadly, there was a glaring lack of them. Everything boiled down to Finn. He was the keystone, but they had no way to know how he'd react. How much damage this artifact has inflicted to his psyche. With exception of Flame Princess, they all had direct experience with his recent new moods.

"He would tell us..." Flame Princess starts, rising to her feet. Grabbing the arms of the her chair, Bubblegum rises to her feet, wobbling slightly.

"No, if this blade has affected his emotions, he may not." Her eyes slide over to Jake, still sitting near motionless in his chair. Since they finished with the book, he has sat there, silent and despondent. "He ... doesn't think of any of us..."

"He hates us." Jake whispers, loud enough all of them can clearly hear. Marcy sighs deeply, not bothering to see how FP was going to take this disturbing news. She hasn't had an experience with Finn during this event. Hadn't seen the anger in his eyes, the way he destroyed his pictures. Even before Legion's possession, he was upset. How much was his own feelings and how much where the blade's, none of them had a clue. Flame Princess stares at Bubblegum, not daring to believe Jake. Her expression betrays her confusion, her anger at these people for seemingly giving up on Finn.

"How could he hate ..." Jake snaps his head up, directing his eyes over to met hers. There was pain there, anguish and hurt, but also anger. Her words die on her tongue.

"You haven't heard him, haven't seen him in, what... months? Maybe even a year? How the hell would you know!" He slides out of his chair, raising an arm to point at her.

"He blames us for everything," He waves his arm to include the other two women. "All of us." He narrows his eyes at her, silently inviting her to object to his words. "Including you." Standing there, he waits, watching the various emotions shift across the fire elemental's face. After a minute or two, her flames weaken as she drops her gaze.

"Jake, you're right. I haven't been here, I don't know." She looks back up at him, sadness causing that dull ache in her chest to return. "But we can't give up, we have to keep trying."

"None of us are giving up, FP. None of us will, but right now we need to plan. We need to figure out so many things before we even find the blade. Rushing head first into this will do nothing but spell disaster. " Bubblegum offers, her words causing Jake to visibly relax. Turning slightly, she walks a step away from her chair before the world spins sickeningly, causing her to stumble. Before she can hit the floor, Marcy is at her side, gripping her arm.

"Ok, no matter what needs to be done, you need to rest." She helps the candy woman back to her feet, keeping her grip on her arm. Bubblegum nods in agreement, knowing that to argue with the vampire won't get her anywhere.

"Jake, " The yellow dog looks at her. His face was now a mask of worry over Bubblegum. "Do you think you're up to checking on Finn?" He stands there, his mouth screwed up, thinking. Finally he nods, understanding that someone had to check up on him. Marcy had her hands full with Bubblegum, Finn would have to fall on him.

"Good. I'll come find you after I get PB up to her room." Wrapping an arm around PB, she lifts off the ground, heading toward the door. After they leave, Jake turns toward FP, who has been sitting in her chair, looking lost.

"Come on FP. About Globbing time you see Finn."

* * *

Following a few feet behind Jake, Flame Princess walks in silence. She was a mess, her emotions kept shifting from one extreme to the next. Anger, sorrow, guilt ; all swirling around in her head like an swarm of bees. Jake's words ate her, made that ache grow. She knew part of this was her fault, she should have been more responsible. Should have contacted Princess Bubblegum at the first major sign of trouble. **_But no, I couldn't manage to suck up my dislike of the woman to do the right thing._** Couldn't get past the history between the two of them. Jake was right, Finn had good reason to blame all of them.

"He's not good FP," Jake's voice snaps her out of her melancholy. Lifting her gaze, she watches the back of the dog's head. "He's hurt bad, but what's worse is his melon is all grunked up. Majorly. But..." Stopping, he sighs and drops his eyes to the floor, remembering the way Finn had screamed at him before. His bro was right, but knowing what he did now, he could understand why his brother had acted so differently. What has this damned thing been feeding into his noggin all this time?

"It's alright Jake. I'm sorry for before." He turns toward her. She stood there, watching him. There was a sadness to her that he wasn't used to seeing. She has always been the headstrong, demanding and rambunctious. Quick to anger, slow to calm down. Looking her over, he can see a very different person than he last remembers. Rubbing his face, he realizes that he was judging her by her past, not on how she may be now. Everybody changes, well... _**Maybe not me**_.

"Don't be FP. I'm sorry for snapping at you." She smiles at him, getting a faint one in return. "All of this...," He throws is arms up, waving them around. "It is just so messed up!" He was at a loss for words. Nothing in their past has come close to this level, not even their encounters with the Lich. The Lich was an bad guy he could understand. He wanted to ruin everything and everyone, to end all life on Ooo. Even with his sneakiness, he was a typical enemy, a tangible opponent that you could fight against. This Whispering Blade thing, it was a whole new level of evil baddie, something abstract. It made him feel dumb, angry and just plain confused.

"Are we almost there, Jake?" Her voice makes him jump, he was lost in his own head again. Nodding he turns and continues down the hall.

A few more turns and they arrive at a plain looking grey door. There was a strange panel embedded into the wall to the right of the door. Jake stands before this item and raises one paw. Inches above the panel, he stops. Turning toward FP he swallows.

"He's probably not awake FP, but if he is... You can't take anything he says to heart. OK?" She watches him, trying to figure out what he meant. She opens her mouth to answer, but he just shakes his head.

"I mean it FP. He's hurt, bod and soul, bad. Anything he might say, just know that it may not be him talking." They stand there, staring at each other. Slowly, she nods.

"Alright, I promise Jake." He waits to few more seconds, watching her, trying to read her. If Finn was awake, he could say some crazy stuff to her, all he could do is hope she won't take it to heart and flip out. An angry fire elemental wasn't going to help anything. Nodding to her, he turns back to the panel, placing his paw against the smooth surface. A green light flashes from beneath and a click is heard as the door slides open. FP waits, her worries digging at her heart. She wants to see Finn, to make sure he was alive, but she was afraid. Blinking, she realizes, yes... _**I'm afraid**_. Drawing a breath, she stakes a step forward as Jake spins around and slides down the wall, landing with a grunt.

"Aren't you coming?" Shaking his head, he stares down at the floor.

"No, if you need anything just say my name, I'll hear you...but I can't see him right now, FP." A tear sneaks free and rolls down his face. The tear leaves a dark spot on the floor, but he doesn't move. He can't go back in there right now, can't see his bro like that. Not right now.

Standing there, she watches as a few more tears splash on the floor. Turning toward the open door, all she can see is a bright pink room. Seeing Jake cry makes that knot of fear clench tighter in her gut, but she has to see him. To see him with her own eyes. Taking another breath, she walks forward.


End file.
